Young Francis Deerham and Sir Thomas Culpepper stood wearily in the dock. Their trial was a sham, with little permitted in the way of defense. The Archbishop of Canterbury himself, Thomas Cranmer, acted as prosecutor, and he was especially theatrical… Continue Reading
Every morning, I turn on my laptop and check my emails. Very few of them are personal, mostly junk mail. I don’t bother opening them… just go down the list and delete them. But today one of them caught my… Continue Reading
“It never blinks.” Fred and John were playing chess. John glanced at Fred, and then at the security camera Fred was staring at. “The camera?” John asked, not hiding the slight irritation in his voice. Fred’s preoccupation with the newly… Continue Reading
On a cold, snowy day in January, as an old song played on the radio, Joe, whose birthday was in September, had more trouble than usual getting ready for school. “Eat your breakfast, son,” his father said. “Today is, what,… Continue Reading
“How could this be happening?” “As I said, it’s a field, not a shield.” “But in the advertisements it looks like a shell of light around the guy’s house.” “Yes, I’m aware of the commercials, Mr. Alderson.” “The tree just… Continue Reading
Inside the poem was safe and quiet, but the word knew its time was limited. Even here, amid the heady chaos of surrealism tinged with psychedelia, staying still for too long could be fatal. Peering out from between two random… Continue Reading
The Akahoshi Hikari 4X is a family-class spaceship that comes equipped with the latest advancements in AI, as well as the superior firepower and reliable navigation you’ve come to expect from Akahoshi. Don’t trust your family’s future to anything less… Continue Reading
The scene was starting to materialize — a dappled draft horse emerging from the shade of a covered bridge. Mildred loved the proud arch of his neck, the way the brass harness fittings glistened in the summer sun. She squinted… Continue Reading
Really, life is all about our asses. We feed them, and fatten them, then try to slim them down again. We hire Swedes to massage them and lawyers to save them, and we act like them at work so we… Continue Reading
The sign above the door read, “The Pierotta sisters. Psychic readings. Achieve wealth, love, and happiness! Walk-ins welcome.” Archie wasn’t sure if he believed in psychics, but he was feeling desperate. He’d been demoted at work. His girlfriend Eliza was… Continue Reading