These stories are written under ‘Esther Ariel’ (my name here) or ‘Hila Katz’ (the name I go by elsewhere). If you’d like to contact me about my writing, you can reach me at writehilakatz (at) gmail.com or drop a comment here.
Flash Fiction (under 1,000 words)
Inescapable Questions – a class presentation takes a painful turn.
Lewis the Loyal Labrador Retriever – a test of loyalty for a canine YouTube star.
Mary Bennet Starts High School – a character sketch of a modern-day Mary Bennet.
Outage – a woman wakes up from a nap and finds that the power is out.
Short Stories
Chapters in the Life of a House Frog – a frog’s life changes when he gets stuck in a pool filter.
Coughing Through Shostakovich – a violinist’s performance goes so wrong in some ways, but so right in others. Published at Subtle Fiction.
The Disappearing Woman – a college student doesn’t like visiting an elderly lady, but does she have a choice?
Dragonflies – a chance meeting by a pond with many dragonflies.
Good-Bye, Douglas – starts like many other evenings, with the locked door of an older brother’s bedroom.
Graveside Closure – a visit to Portland, Maine might get a ghost off her back.
Human After All – an isolated woman makes a connection for the first time following a horrific injury. Published at Front Porch Review.
Lucia – “If you aren’t a mother, it’s hard to make friends in Lesser Hollows.”
Seven Incarnations of a Spinster – best read it and see what these are. Published at Word Riot.
The Tutor Who Wasn’t the First to Give Up – a high school kid looking to pad his college application by tutoring a middle school kid who’d rather not be there.
An Unexpected Descent – starts with two young brothers, home alone, and the older one gets an idea. Published in Bartleby Snopes.
When Linda Sketched the Dead – begins with a girl taking her sketchbook to a cemetery. Published in Halfway Down the Stairs.
Kilter Street Chronicles 