Half of the hysterical locals were convinced we’d come to do a My Lai on their village; the rest just wanted our rations. Conditions were typically deplorable. Years in the unremitting shit of war will do that. Everybody in the company… Continue Reading
When it comes to actually burning the house, remember a good blaze is a work of art. It’s all about three ingredients: oxygen, fuel, and heat — the right amount of each make a fire something special. You skimp on one of the… Continue Reading
When the first one appeared on his hand that morning, he thought it was some kind of weird rash. The biggest part of the rash bubbled up to the size of a dime and was lodged into that soft fleshy… Continue Reading
“Where did those come from?” Val said. The door slammed shut behind her, causing the thin walls to rattle on every side of the room. I stuffed the paper I was writing into the nearest book and shut it, pinching… Continue Reading
Nathan Harker was propping up the bar at the Carfax Arms public house. He was on his third pint of lager and had been complaining about his wife incessantly since midway through his first. “I don’t know why I ever… Continue Reading
They met in a bar, two mid fifty-somethings finding each other in a sea of youthful faces. He bought her a drink. They chatted. Conversation came easily. Warmth. Then laughs. “Can I see you again?” She answered, “yes,” but said… Continue Reading
1. The men without faces came for his father just after dinnertime. There were two of them. They broke down the apartment door and stormed inside. His mother screamed, dropped her glass. It shattered on the floor. His father tried… Continue Reading
The fat man approached with a package wrapped in a blanket under his arm. Mick took one more drag, dropped his cigarette, and ground the butt into the pavement with the heel of his shoe. He moved his head slightly, just a… Continue Reading
Anthony Creel had tried everything he could think of to keep the boogeyman away. His mother had assured him that no monster lived in the house. She grabbed his hand and led him on a tour through each room. Closets… Continue Reading
Bob hated driving the big yellow ‘cattle trucks’. He liked the cargo, but the other drivers drove him mad. Soccer moms cutting him off on their way to the hair dresser’s and belligerent teenagers flipping him off all contributed to… Continue Reading