“Black Thumb” by Michelle Ann King

There’s something moving by the garden fence. Mice, again? Or worse, a rat? Debra puts the washing basket down and almost calls out for Stuart, but then she remembers.

She edges closer. Curled around the cracked base of her abandoned flower pot is a huge slug, sleek and iridescent in the patchy afternoon sun. Once, she would have worried about how to get rid of it, but there’s no point now.

“I wouldn’t stop here,” she tells it. “You’ll go hungry.”

Because there’s nothing for it to feed on in her blighted garden. Not unless it eats gravel and dry, yellowing grass. Continue reading →

2014 Release Schedule & An Update To Submitters

Here’s how 2014 will look for us:

Issue 6  – February 4, 2014
Issue 6 – April 11, 2014
Issue 7 – June 10, 2014
Issue 8 – August 5, 2014
Issue 9 – October 8, 2014 (Halloween Themed)
Issue 10 – December 9, 2014

We’re currently caught up to December 2013 February 2014 for submissions and have a good collection of maybes  for our February April issue.

If you submitted prior to December 2013 February 2014 and haven’t heard from us yet, send a query to our submissions address.

No December Issue of Black Treacle

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, there is not going to be a December issue.

Any submissions currently in the queue will be under consideration for our next issue (January 14th).  You are free to withdraw your submission, just pop off an email to let us know.

Please do not be concerned. This is not the end of Black Treacle Magazine. Consider it a winter-break(down)