It took NASA three months to verify that it was indeed a message and not interstellar scintillation. The communication repeated regularly and was clearly the result of intelligent composition. It took a further four months to isolate which solar system… Continue Reading
The candy jar was crushing my brother’s hand. “When will he get here?” Todd whimpered. In the conflict of magical glass vs. college sophomore, the glass was winning. We sat in the corner of my bakery, the Snackdragon, and I… Continue Reading
My baby sister is marrying the ghost of a pirate. When it came to her imaginary friends, Anita always pushed the limits. Growing up she insisted our mother set a place at the table each night for her favorite, a… Continue Reading
Today is the day. I’ve walked by this fucking picnic basket every week for the past 7 weeks. It’s a standard picnic basket made of wicker, I guess. There’s this blue cloth inside and a few utensils, plates and cups.… Continue Reading
Joyce and I had been snapping at each other for weeks. No reason really, at least not one that was obvious. But after fifteen years together sometimes you just get into these things and you can’t get out until someone… Continue Reading
Stealing requires finesse, timing, and attention to detail. I was trying to figure out which attribute I lacked as police sirens wailed in the background. “Next time, we steal something lighter!” my wife said. It was an example of her… Continue Reading
As I was preparing for class, Lois Blaylock, a fellow member of the English department, burst into my office looking like she had just caught the dean in a compromising position with a chicken. She had been my mentor through… Continue Reading
Deborah, a self-described ‘straight-shooter’, preferred to address relationship issues with her husband directly. Convincing Jeremy to have a vasectomy called for a little finesse, more of a plan. She would have to set the mood before even broaching the subject,… Continue Reading
His first name is Charles. He works at a bank. He’s meeting me at a restaurant in the North End called Antico Forno. We’re going to get along great. At least that’s what my friend Kathy knows. But Kathy knows… Continue Reading
I found myself lurching across an uneven desert, fastidiously placing each foot on juts of serrated grains of silicon that kept trying to pitch me on to my feelers. Whatever my purpose in life might prove to be, my objective… Continue Reading