I hear this is the brand the President uses to take notes (and doodle) during Cabinet meetings.

It’s September, which always fills us with back-to-school spirit and nostalgic memories for glitter gel pens and those little scented erasers shaped like fruit. There’s no mood more literary than this, so we’re pleased to present five speculative stories for your required reading list. Abbey Kos fondly recounts “When the Bees Came” in an elegant flash piece, and Brandon Barrett explores a girl’s unusual problem in “Sue Nguyen Sees No Ghosts.” The title “No One Died on the Moon” is not actually much of a spoiler for Keely Cutts’ sci-fi tale of loneliness, nor does “Our Lady of Fire” do more than hint at the terror churning beneath the surface of Laura Hogan’s haunting short. Finally, Kathryn Michael McMahon shares the story of a sympathetic shark and his comely human chum in “Loveteeth.” And if you love Japanese Snowy Octobunnies, you won’t want to miss this month’s cover art by ShirrStone Shelter.

Wiggle it online or jiggle the .pdf.

We originally hoped to find a few stories featuring la petite mort for issue sixty-nine, because our sense of humor is highly sophisticated. What we present here is less petite, more la mort. Ah, well; c’est la vie. Or, you know, not. However, what we actually ended up with is better than what we thought we wanted, as is so often the case.

Jill Hand’s “Incident at Ong’s Hat” is a thoroughly Jersey story. Michael Díaz Feito’s “Yoel the Chickenkeeper,” uses vivid imagery to tell a brief, sad tale. Taylor Putorti’s “Transition” guides you through liminal space, and Susan Kaempfer’s “Spawn” explores unusual life choices and their effects. Allina Nunley’s “Scorpion Midnight” soothes with death’s sweet sting. Lastly, William Ables’ “Western Dark” lets you ride along on a supernatural road trip. Our own Samuel Snoek-Brown did the on-theme cover art this month, so make sure you check that out, too.

Slice it online or dice the .pdf.