Elena was good at math, but never liked to admit it. Her mother wouldn’t approve. Her mother hated many things, with numbers high on the list. It was a shame, given the beauty of integers. Her mother’s rage reeked of… Continue Reading
I was a good girl today. Really good. Probably better than any eleven-year-old you’ll ever see. It started in the morning when I got out of bed without my mom even having to wake me up. It’s not hard, I… Continue Reading
The artist put a wet brush to the canvas, tracing myriad graceful lines that would coalesce, she hoped, into an abominable enough shape. Not in her eyes, perhaps, but her work had a certain reputation among her enthusiasts of late… Continue Reading
Camila was used to men trying to impress her on first dates so she wasn’t surprised when Ryan suggested they go to the most expensive Italian restaurant in town. They agreed to meet outside Graccina’s at 7 p.m. Even from… Continue Reading
Wayne Reynolds sits on the floor of his apartment. He is in front of his coffee table, rubbing the smallest of dust particles from the surface. He knocks over a stack of student essays on the floor. Wayne Reynolds is… Continue Reading
Autumn is a terminal season. It signals the end of many things — vacation, summer, longer days. In my case, autumn also brings about the termination of my employment. Today is my last day at what the locals call “the… Continue Reading
Seven-two-three-seven-seven-five-two-seven-seven-two. It was easy, so freakin’ easy to remember, and no wonder everyone else did. It was a great sequence of numbers, honestly, and one I could have sworn I had for ages. I’d still get messages every now and… Continue Reading
Colin remained seated in the pew, watching the congregation file out with smiles and nods and murmurs. Religion wasn’t exactly his thing, but in this situation he hadn’t been sure what else to do. His usual methods of crisis management… Continue Reading
I was lying in bed, wiggling my new loose tooth, when I started thinking about the Tooth Fairy. I was just trying to slide into sleep before my parents started fighting in the next room, but all of a sudden… Continue Reading
He wakes up the next day, surprised to discover that his missing thumb is back. The doctor, who had advised Ted yesterday that she couldn’t fix the smashed digit, is even more perplexed. She’d amputated the limb just 24 hours… Continue Reading