Back-to-School Time

Here in the northern hemisphere it’s back-to-school time.  For some it’s a melancholy time.  For others it’s a cause for rejoicing.  For me, well, it’s business as usual.

For the boy in our first story, school means facing hard truths—about himself, about the world, about compassion.  Eli Hastings’ “The Cell I’m In” is a strongly worded, in-your-face kind of story that we hope will have our readers thinking about the same hard truths.

 Our other stories this month take our readers into two time-travel-minded tales:

The first is “The Vitruvian Farmer” by Marcelina Vizcarra, in which a teen’s father leaves home for the future, taking the time machine he keeps in the barn.  Will he return?  You’ll have to read to find out.  A poignant tale of loss and longing and taking a mighty leap into the unknown.  

 I have to admit I have a soft spot for “Honeybee” by returning FFO author, Caroline Yoachim.  I think of her story every time I open my own hive of bees and worry about their future and their state of health, every time I taste the honey I harvest from their busy and bustling hive and thank God I have it.  In our protagonist’s time, some near-future world, there are no honeybees.  Big deal?  It’s a big deal.  Lovely story with a lovely ending. 

 Happy school days to our northern hemisphere friends.  And for those in the south, summer is just around the corner! 

Until next month,

Suzanne

Editor-in-Chief