Brunch with Edgar was splendid. I awarded full marks. Imagine the surprise when my own report arrived and Edgar had hit me with a C+. C+? Really? I called him. “C+, Edgar? Brunch was splendid!” I couldn’t see Edgar’s face,… Continue Reading
I was so tired. I arrived at my grandmother’s house, Z___abad, at a little past 3pm. It was a cool mid-March evening and the slight chill in the air felt soothing. I made my way up the broad walkway towards… Continue Reading
Insects always died beneath the paisley curtains of my childhood bedroom. It never bothered me to see the dried-up bodies of ladybugs in the dust of the hardwood. Their rust-colored exoskeletons were amusing to play with, making a satisfying pop… Continue Reading
BOINK! “This is Paul.” What the hell? It felt as though I had just been whisked into existence. And yet, I knew most of the people around me. I remembered coming here. I took a sip of my gin and… Continue Reading
We’ve made our way from the station to post in La Mirada. The call comes in as a stabbing. “Head for Santa Fe Springs,” I tell Armando, typing the address into Google Maps. As is too often the case, the… Continue Reading
Tom hardly noticed the old man. Nothing was unusual about someone sitting by the side of the bike path and enjoying the bright sunshine of the late spring day. But the man raised his head and called out, “Is this… Continue Reading
When my son was small we went on a glorious beach holiday. The weather was perfect, the sands golden and the water a shimmering blue. Everything was just the right temperature. Things were so good we bought a kite on… Continue Reading
After years of battle, years of her mortal enemy escaping capture, vanishing without a trace, she is convinced that today is the day that she, Hunter-Supreme-Vanquisher-of-Enemies, will defeat the scarlet escape artist once and for all. Despite years of reconnaissance,… Continue Reading
Bill died early Saturday morning. He wanted chicken tortilla soup for lunch. His fever was gone and his throat was just a little scratchy. We were advised home quarantine since his COVID symptoms were mild. He tested positive and I… Continue Reading
Having been a server at Izzy’s Diner for nearly twenty years, Betty thought she had seen it all: from baby showers to drunken brawls in the parking lot. But most of her work days were the same. The smell of… Continue Reading