Posted by Tobias Carroll

Three stories, all quite good, presented for your perusal from venues around the web. It wasn’t until I looked down at the complete post that I realized some thematic resonance among the titles.

Eric Howerton’s “Ghost Clothes” (at Night Train).

We started wearing ghosts for clothes in January. After everything that had happened it seemed fitting to start the new year wrapped in the dead. So we wore ghosts for scarves.

Amelia Gray’s “Vigil” (at Spork)

With one intake of air it seemed like he was about to turn towards her but he continued to not do that while she ate one nugget and another, first eating them warm and plain and then dipping them into the honey mustard sauce she had chosen, resting the adorned nugget on her tongue, sweet-salt, then dipping two at a time and putting them both into her mouth, the nuggets crushing together, their fried skin softened hours before, when he first moved his jaw like he was going to say a word but said nothing instead.

Mary Hamilton’s “I’ve got your ghosts right here.” (at The Collagist)

And the drunk boy leans his forearm on the jukebox, rests his head on his fist and types the numbers for his favorite song. Disc 7, song 16. Mustang Sally, he howls. The bar groans. The patrons of the bar, the seams of the floorboards, the pipes behind the walls.