Creative Prose
A collection of all the creative prose in the fourth edition of “The Parlay” literary magazine, and a few extra “nuggets” that we just couldn’t fit into the PDF version of our magazine.
All of our pieces are listed in alphabetical order of the title.
A Backwards Path To Zion
“[1] And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt bethink thyself among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, [2] and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and hearken to His voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul;
By: Emma “Bird” Wiese
Authors Bio:
Emma “Bird” Wiese grew up in Roseville and Granite Bay with a strong interest in nature, culture, and, of course, reading and writing. Before moving to Tucson, Arizona to study English, they were an editor and writer for The Parlay’s second and third editions. They are very glad to continue writing for this edition of the magazine, and look forward to contributing to future editions as The Parlay grows.
I Know Her
I know her, but I can never remember her face.
It’s followed me ever since I was a child, an apparition in my loveliest, most desolate dreams. I know that she exists; she is not just an image brought to me by grief-stricken repose. I know that she exists, but I cannot tell you anything about her.
By: Morgane Simkowski
Morgane Simkowski is a recent graduate of Arizona State University and former student at Folsom Lake College. Most notably, she was involved in the production of the inaugural edition of The Parlay, an accomplishment she remains beyond proud of. Storytelling has always been her favorite pastime, and so she makes sure to incorporate it into anything she does, as often as she can. Her other favorite things are her cat, a good coffee, and a nice nature walk- the finer things in life.
Love Rant
Nothing ever felt like home.
Not my parents.
Not my brother.
Not even my friends.
By: Maven Hershfeild
Maven Hershfield is from Chicago, IL, but they grew up mostly on the West Coast. They are currently an undergraduate student and aspiring historian with a strong interest in the impact of historical events on future human development. Outside of their writing hobbies, Maven is a regular caffeine consumer and arts and craft-er. They are always inspired by the nature around them, especially on lush nature paths.
Author Bio:
Salt Circles and Rotting Fruit
The moon, scythe in shape tonight, taunts me from its permanent position
hanging like a warning above. There’s an unending, unnerving, unbecoming sort of
ethereal edge to the light radiating off of her– and it taunts me.
By: Ash Bussard
Author Bio:
Ash Bussard (they/she) is a student at Folsom Lake Community College. She is the midst of finishing coursework to eventually transfer to a state college and get her bachelor's degree in English. Ash has a deep passion for writing and is currently working on her first novel. In her downtime, she is usually found watching anime, hanging out with her friends, or working on new stories to write. This is her second time being on the team for The Parlay and looks forward to working on / writing for future editions as well..
Six Feet to Eternity / Till Death Do Us Part
“...and so there I was, standing there like. Hello, do you even see me?” I laughed at my own
joke; I’m sure you were laughing too, in your own way.
By: Eric Rickey
Authors Bio:
Eric Rickey is an English major currently enrolled at Folsom Lake College. He has a passion for writing and often will find himself daydreaming about characters and stories he hasn’t even written yet. When he’s not writing you can often find him playing with his nieces and nephews, watching anime, or preparing for the next adventure for his DND campaign. He has had a blast working on this issue of “The Parlay” and looks forward to working on future editions.
Somewhere in Birmingham
Rain was beating down a window that showed a darkly lit apartment in English Birmingham.
Only a candle burned on top of a desk where a broken man was stationed. His body arched over the desk
while his hands rhythmically tinkered with something unidentifiable from a mere glance.
By: Emily Chiea
Authors Bio:
Emily Chiea is a Folsom Lake College student who plans on transferring to San Francisco State University for a Creative Writing Major. She dabbles in writing different kinds of genres like fantasy, horror, and comedy. Drawing is a hobby they indulge in as well where they draw characters from their many stories. She’s currently trying to write her first novel
Spectator
Eran’s hand numbed against the river’s soft trickle, booting him from its melodic sensation. He often walked by the canal that ran alongside his neighborhood to clear his head. He much preferred it to the area he grew up in. That day, as Eran’s nerves pulsed for one final time, he withdrew his hand from the river and into a hostile reality.
By: Christian Barragan
Author Bio:
Christian Barragan is a graduate from California State University Northridge. Raised in Riverside, CA, he aims to become a novelist or editor. He currently reads submissions for Flash Fiction Magazine. His work has appeared in the Raven Review, Moria Magazine, and the Frogmore Papers, among others.
Stained
There was a tinge of red on the white laces of his second hand sneakers. He had often noticed it, but had never thought of it until now. The color itself was mischievous, almost rusty with undertones of a deep scarlet. Vaguely droplet shaped, it was the kind of stain you could tell would never come out. For the first time since he had bought the shoes from his local Goodwill, he found himself wondering where the stain came from. He played with the idea of spilt ketchup or house paint, but he had seen stains like this before.
By: Nathan Johnstone
Authors Bio:
Nathan Johnson is a hopeless English major who writes prose and poetry at the demand of Folsom Lake Colleges literary magazine students. He’s not sure how he ended up in this class, but credits are credits. His writing can be found in the Parlay, and only the Parlay (for now…).
The Cherry Coke Review
There are a lot of things that are true on paper.
One of them is that today, I should have felt alive.
It’s hot for February, the temperature climbing to the low sixties, with every hour the sun rises up from the urban decay of the Central Valley. It’s one of those days that you open all the windows of your house to, inviting in the breeze, the car exhaust, and that fantasy of being elsewhere, like Vermont or the Italian countryside in spring. Anywhere but fucking Sacramento.
By: Aaliyah Hernandez
Author Bio:
Aaliyah Hernandez is a poet and writer local to the Sacramento area. She strives to explore and express the complexities of womanhood and individuality, the art of words being her vessel to do so. Her first collection of poetry, Turning Twenty One, can be found at Barnes and Noble.
The Mysterious Disappearance of Mateo Alverez, Class of 1989
By: Aaliyah Hernandez
The last sheets of spring snow were melting into slithering, shivering rivers, traveling from their summits down as far as the southern border while the rest of us migrated north, ready to resume class after the tease of break and on the brink of moving on without him.
Professor Peairs was the first to mention him by name, two weeks too late.
“Have you heard from Mateo at all, Lucía?”
She’s always assumed we were close, being the only two Hispanic people in the class. If anyone asked her, we gravitated to each other naturally, two moths to the minority herd flame. Her seating chart simply had nothing to do with that, right?
THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOM IS PAIN
You know, I was healthy my whole life—until I wasn’t. But I suppose that’s how all our hurts have to start: somewhere. For me, and those not unlike me, it was a cut. A slicing of sorts. A snipping through the fabric of already loosely sewn teenage reality. Until a line shred its way through as straight as a perfectly aimed arrow—and just as bloody—forming the formidable dams of my memory. Henceforth, the watercolor quiet of before—and then, of course, the irascible after. Such is the plight of the chronically ill, the burdensome, the non-contagious owners of diseased bodies. Ours is a collective: before and after.
By: Kaitie Larson
Author Bio:
Katie Larson grew up in the Sacramento area. She is a student and aspiring writer and poet. She has a passion for political matters and is an enthusiastic advocate for mental health, disability awareness/rights, and unimpeded freedom of expression. When she is not reading, you can almost always find her writing or doing something else of an artistic nature. She is an unabashed nerd.
The Water in the Well
I was in the school’s courtyard, reading a book like I did every day, when I spotted Bethany on the other side of the yard. From where I sat on the stone rectangle they called a bench, I could see she was crying again, her face all splotched up red. I would never be seen red like that at school. She spotted me, through what I imagined was some watery vision. I knew she was coming, and so I raised my book closer to my face, and stared at it really, really hard. She kept coming. I put a scowl on my face. But no, she just plopped down next to me.
By: Melissa Marion
Melissa Marion is a college student working toward a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She can often be found pursuing the Fantasy section of her local library. When she’s not writing, Melissa enjoys spending time outdoors, painting with acrylics, and making squeaky noises on her clarinet.