Fiction | The Collective

The Collective

Fall 2022

The Land Between Us

by: Twix Castro “Come over! A friend of Jackson’s is over, and I think you’d really like him!” Jessie’s voice said over the phone, causing me to roll my eyes. This was not the first time she’d tried to set me up with someone. In fact, each time she did it usually ended in disaster….

“Der Einsame im Herbst”

by: Miroslav Georgiev Absalom Sinclair was preparing leftover pizza for breakfast. This was not uncommon, particularly in these last few isolated years. As the pizza reheated, he suddenly felt faint. While it wasn’t his first fainting spell, this one felt different, like a truck bearing down on him with full force. All he could remember…

Next Date, When?

By Amber Atkinson June couldn’t believe it took her this long to realize that maybe men weren’t her thing. Daniel wasn’t a bad guy. June liked his sense of humor. She liked his sense of style, intelligence, and the infinite amount of stories he’d tell about his childhood. She liked that he was kind and…

Magician’s Supper

By: Trent Summers “Bye, Mom. Goodbye, Grandmother. I’ll meet you both at sundown.” She said this as she shut the door behind her and stared blankly at the yellow field in front of her. A golden landscape with yellow crops surrounded her cottage. There are sectioned paths for walking, which travel in all directions, as…

Anthony’s Day at the Mall

by: Reese Orkin Anthony Myers stands at the top of the mall escalator, spine fully extended, shoulders squared, and knees locked. His feet are aching in his loafers, despite the insoles, and his tie feels suffocating. He takes a deep breath and releases it as he awakens at the bottom of the escalator. The throngs…