What an interesting smell you’ve discovered!

“Spring,” as an insipid marquee announced to me this morning, “has sprung.” Also, “Our Sk8ing Classes Are Wheelie Gr8,” according to a different local sign composed by a more imaginative poet.

Speaking of good imaginations, we’re pleased to cram the cruelest month with random acts of creativity from four talented writers. Betsy Streeter—whom you may remember as the artist behind the March issue’s scary-elegant cover illustration—kicks things off with a laugh-out-loud-then-wonder-if-you’re-a-bad-person story, “Del, We’re Sorry, Please Stop.” After that, Charlie Fiset’s “Natural Birth” will change the way you look at eggs forever. You may want to enjoy “Them Oranges,” a heart-pounding tale of hunger by Nicole Wolverton, with a glass of fresh-squeezed juice. Last up is Ben Pullar’s “The Stangler Fig Slide,” a fanciful tale with as many twists as its eponymous attraction. (Notice I didn’t say “titular,” because that sounds like a word frat guys would use on Spring Break.) Read, ponder, share with friends. And definitely check out this month’s cover art, Isabella Petty’s starkly evocative “Anguish.”

Read it online or download the pdf.

In case you were wondering: Earl Grey with lemon. And leave the pot; it’s been a long day.

We love March. Probably because, as a certain disappearing tabby once observed, we’re all mad here. In that spirit, we’ve invited an eclectic group of guests to our little tea party this month. Our fifty-second issue opens with “Little Monster,” a tale of slow burning from Aida Ibisevic that will give you chills. Next up is Vajra Chandrasekera’s “By Good Angels Tenanted,” a story of two unusual sets of genitals—each terrifying in its own way—and the people who live with them. [Insert “teabagging” joke here.] Then the fun just keeps on keepin’ on with Christopher Cassavella’s amusing metafiction narrative, “Joe’s Theory.” That one is followed by “The Memory Thief,” a bittersweet zombie flash-fiction piece from Brianna Gielow. Lastly, William Blomstedt introduces you to the roommates you never knew you wanted in “The Scuttlebutt on Pluto.” And make sure you pause to admire “Revenge,” the creepy (but very classy) cover art by Betsy Streeter.

So if you’ve been bummed out lately by all this lousy Smarch weather, pull up a chair and hang with us for a while—there’s plenty of unbirthday cake to go around. If you forgot to bring a hat, you can borrow one of ours. And don’t mind the dormouse; he always sleeps in there.

Read it online or download the .pdf.

The stories in this issue are by turns surreal, scary, funny, sad, puzzling, and sweet—just like love.

In “Raritan, New Jersey. 2012,” Jason Macias takes us galloping through equine dreams. Suzanne Samples introduces us to some mysterious (and slightly creepy) “Things That Float.” Next up is a thoughtful and intriguing flash piece by Daniel Thompson, “My Horns Hurt.” Charlie Brown’s narrator gets “A Bad Case” of a surprisingly lively and entertaining venereal disease. Robert Lowell Russell’s “Path of Stones” examines a well-known fairy tale from the perspective of a marginalized character who must weave through many stories before finishing his own. And when you think about it, isn’t that what we all have to do?

Read the full issue online or download the PDF. And don’t forget to check out the creepy yet adorable cover art by Daniel Langhans.