Mandatory Dreaming

Gemini Burns pressed a fingertip into the soil around her bonsai tree to check its moisture levels. She got as close to the plant as she could, pretending to stand beneath it, imagining the staggering heights a tree used to be able to reach. The daily ritual of inspecting its tiny leaves for signs of…

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Carrie Lee South

Carrie Lee South earned her MFA at the University of Central Arkansas. She loves stories that keep you awake at night. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s spending time with birds. Her writing has appeared in Iron Horse Literary Review, Opus Comics, The Dread Machine, Tales to Terrify, and elsewhere. She is currently working on her first novel. Read more at carrieleesouth.com.

Kayla Rader

Kayla Rader is an illustrator and designer, originally from Texas, with a passion for storytelling, worldbuilding, and character creation. She is very fond of cowboys, pirates, and vampires (oh my), and loves using intricate linework and bold color in her work. Currently, she’s focusing on freelance illustration, selling handmade stickers and prints in her shop, and developing a webcomic. When she’s not drawing, she’s out adventuring with her party in Dungeons & Dragons or playing a narrative-led video game.


First Featured In: No. 22, winter 2024

The Dreams Issue

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