Laura was on the phone with her boyfriend when the baby let out a sharp wail. She rushed down the hall, picked up her crying daughter from the crib, cooed “There, sweetie, it’s okay.” Then she saw blood dripping from… Continue Reading
Something in the darkness moved, and Herr Bruegel awoke. A large, rough hand stole over his mouth, stifling the cry before it could begin. “Do not cry out, Herr Anwalt,” a voice said. “I mean you no harm, but I… Continue Reading
Kitrid told me I’d go to Hell for what I done. I didn’t believe her. It was a mistake, I said. Kitrid said it didn’t matter; that some mistakes are forged in iron. But I didn’t know what that meant.… Continue Reading
I sat cross-legged on the tattered blanket, surrounded by a constellation of crumbs. Myra was sprawled out on her stomach next to me, her bright socks doing scissor kicks as she stared at the TV. Once in a while she’d… Continue Reading
He started screaming for help before he even touched the water. I was sitting beside the icy lake, by myself, trying to get my head straight. When he popped out of the woods on the opposite side, I went still,… Continue Reading
The door is not there. Everything else is the same. It’s not a dream. Time keeps moving by in the right way, my watch shows its relentless progression. The bus stop was right, the street is right, the building is… Continue Reading
It’s hard to see the pawn shop unless you need it. You must’ve gone past the shop a hundred times before, but it’s only today that you really see it there, hunched in the shadow of the tall buildings like… Continue Reading
“Get up.” Diane stirred from her impromptu nap and a dream of her ex-husband, Marc. Before he served her divorce papers, before their relationship started to disintegrate. In the fantasy, they were holding hands through Central Park, the same place… Continue Reading
Lila Fellows — one-hundred and thirty pounds, nineteen years old, deloused, wormed, chipped, injected, and of good pedigree — wanted to stop biting their hands. But it was difficult. She knelt in the right place, where Owner indicated with a… Continue Reading
It was 2:43 in the morning when Matt woke up. He’d fallen asleep on the couch while watching a lackluster documentary on European postage stamps. Half conscious and on autopilot, he wiped his eyes, turned off the TV, and stumbled… Continue Reading