(Vol. 12 | Spring 2025 - Cowley Student) “Where were you last night?” The feeling of a hundred insect legs went down Shawn’s neck. He turned from the time clock and let the name badge lazily dangle while the busted badge reel on his apron struggled. Moira wouldn’t be here.  Dampness, the consistent cologne of every Konbinient backroom, no matter the make and model of season, overwhelmed him. Ryan stood close. Oh, it’s not Moira. The cold from the large walk-in freezer he spe

(Vol. 12 | Spring 2025 - Cowley Alumni) I hate to drag you into this but after millennia of hearing the rumors and cockeyed concoctions of people on planet Earth; I decided it was time to set the record straight. Join me now as I interview the newbies who’ve been granted access to heaven due to His Grace, my boss.             It’s a Monday, and like every other job, there’s a mountain of work that seems to pile up over the weekend. My job is 24/7 so even though I don’t need

(Vol. 12 | Spring 2025 - Cowley Student) "Where are Ilia and Colin?" I asked Mama. Those two always came over for Friday night supper, ever since their mama, my Auntie Cecelia, got sick and died two years back. Ilia started bringing her own food, too! She got really good at making Auntie's cinnamon pie. Even if she put too much cinnamon in it. Colin said he liked the extra cinnamon, but he was just trying to make Ilia happy. No one would like a pie with that cinnamon. We alw

(Vol. 12 | Spring 2025 - Cowley Student) It’s seven o’clock on a Saturday night, and I’m out of bed. My parents don’t know, and they won’t. They’re perfectly content to be distracted by the guests and the alcohol and not give a whit about their nine-year-old daughter. Which is fine by me. This isn’t the first party my parents have hustled me to bed for. This isn’t the first time I’ve sat at the top of the stairs, peering through the banister, watching the ladies in their fa

(Vol. 12 | Spring 2025 - Cowley Alumni)              Walter Price sat alone at the breakfast table. His 78-year-old body had endured cold winters, hot summers, dirty, laborious jobs, working from dawn until dusk on the farm for fifty-odd years. His wife, Clarice, had stood by him in all of those years, providing moral and spiritual support whenever needed. She was the joy of his life and nothing made him prouder than to see her waiting for his arrival from the day’s work at

(Vol. 11 | Spring 2024 - Cowley Student)    The night air was thick and seemed to hang stagnant around the edges of the almost forgotten lake. Years ago, many neighbors and families would gather here for the day. All the children would playfully splash and carry on with laughter and giggles in the cool water. The adults would sit in the shade of the old oak trees and sip on iced tea, catching up on the gossip. Young couples, lovers wanting some privacy under the stars, or ne

(Vol. 11 | Spring 2024 - Cowley Student) In the quiet moments of our shared bedroom, I find myself lost in the depths of Calvin’s world. My initial excitement of discovering someone who I feel completes me fades into the routine of our daily lives. Yet, beneath this perfection, a storm brews, threatening to shatter the fragile illusion of our perfect love. As days turn into weeks, I begin to notice subtle shifts in Calvin’s behavior. His once-endearing quirks now seem like

(Vol. 10 | Spring 2023 - Cowley Alumni) He sat with the sunset, watching his friend die. There wasn’t anything Frank could do for his...

(MMR Vol. 10 Spring 2023 - Cowley Student) In the black of the night, the moon as the only light, there sat a girl on the edge of a...

I am as vulnerable as I could be at this moment. Deep voids of blackness cast shadows of uncertainty onto the streets of my hometown, as...

Angie walked out to the middle of the bridge and sat on the edge with her legs dangling over the side. It was near midnight and the...

“When are we gonna get out of here?” Ginny asked. “I’m sorta comfortable living here,” replied Sarah. “You keep eating that crap they...

Skittering. “Stop. Breathe. Don’t turn around. Go back to running.” Memories. “When did it come to this? Why did we have to be the only...

A note to you, the wolfman next door to me! First, do not eat your midnight snacks and forget to put our cans back upright! Please do not...

The darkness set in; half past seven, the wind comes down from the north and slithers through the trees and the branches stir restlessly...

A 2020 October Contest Winner: Cowley Faculty Most people will tell ya it started the day after. But that ain’t true; It’d been creepin...

A 2020 October Contest Winner: Cowley Alumni There were no stars, no moon, and no wind. Becky paced herself, placing her path down the ...

A 2020 October Contest Winner: Cowley Student I faintly hear the muffled voice of the ride technician giving the countdown til departure....