Her hand sought mine, and my heart flickered. A tsunami roared in the distance. I laid on the shore of a peculiar island. It was dense with ineffable arrays of bizarre and otherworldly plants. The island towered upward, sharp mountaintops slicing the clouds, ascending, jagged ridges lined with lustrous green life. Natural perfection, yet... Continue Reading →
Twelve months to go… Jessica sat gazing at Mr. Roberson who was droning on about some fine aspect of American History. Behind her, Brittney’s whispers kept ringing in her ear. She tried to ignore it at first, as she always did. Yet, she still found herself gritting her teeth as she swallowed hard. ... Continue Reading →
Mike’s audio connected to Zoom and what had been a budding cynicism now bloomed. New-age Indian flute music and a synthesizer beat whistled through the speakers. The teacher’s screen showed a stone buddha, the fat and happy one, resting atop a bookshelf. It looked down at Mike. Twirly bamboo in a glass vase sat next... Continue Reading →
“Where are we going?” Freddy asked, innocence shining on his face like a beacon. “On an adventure, you know that.” His father, Jerry, replied warmly. His crinkled, sea-blue eyes twinkled down at him. “I know…” he began, his small hand held tightly in the large calloused one, “I just wondered what we are... Continue Reading →
The parking lot outside the mega-church was only half-full. Behind it a big sky, almost uncluttered by high-rises. Ruth didn’t even know this area existed until a couple of months ago. Now the drive up here had become their new rhythm, and she made sure she didn’t miss a beat. She drove here, dropped Melody... Continue Reading →
The steps were simple: first, knock on the door; then you have two options: if someone answers, you tell them you are looking for Rodney Steele, that you’re there for his drains. We were dressed as plumbers. After they tell you they are not Rodney Steele, then you apologize for the mistake and move on... Continue Reading →
We pause for a moment under the searing sun, and I struggle to see in the distance. My sunglasses are pretty much useless after the miles and miles of flat land, some of it punctuated with dead things. Grasses? No. Cacti, some of them kicked over, some of them clustered in groups like us. Moving... Continue Reading →
Milwaukee, 1993 My only job that day was to be in the Dehaine house while the appraiser was there. After three lawyers, two guardians, a well-meaning uncle, a priest, and a private investigator, I was pretty sure the Dehaine kids had little to fear from an appraiser alone in their house. But my boss Mary... Continue Reading →
"Roberto, not again," said Josephina Burgos, groaning. "How many times must you tell this story?" "But we love this story, Papi!" cried Ofelia. "Please tell it again, just this one time!" Roberto took a sip of instant coffee from his mug and stared thoughtfully at his family, who had gathered around their white laminate-top dining... Continue Reading →
Summer. The most dangerous season in Texas. Remy watched a praying mantis decapitate a brown-spotted grasshopper. The grasshopper’s body twitched as the praying mantis devoured everything except the legs. The fed praying mantis retreated into the bristle grass and Remy collected the grasshopper legs with a pair of soft forceps. He dropped them into his... Continue Reading →
