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
“Where am I?” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” the bald man says. His nametag reads: Pete. “No one ever does.” “Okay, so how did I get here?” “Simple enough. Tell me about your day.” Funny, it doesn’t… Continue Reading
Scrooge removed a shilling from his purse. “Thank you for making sure my old friend Jacob rests in peace,” he said, handing the coin to the sexton. “Very generous, guv,” said the gravedigger. “And a Merry Christmas to you.” Returning… Continue Reading
No one in Dorchester ever asks for charity, but we needed a lot when Superstorm Irene come through with ten inches of rain. I feared for our general store under all that water. Not that some tourists would come by… Continue Reading
“This is stupid,” Burt said. He walked behind his wife down the hill. The darkness fell from the sky like an old lady in her shower. “I don’t see why,” Cleo said. “We heard a bang and now we’re checking… Continue Reading
The abandoned tannery loomed above Gil Hadrian as he dismounted his horse. The windowless brick building still threw off the smell of stale urine and other chemicals, even after sitting unused for almost four years. Gil squared his shoulders and… Continue Reading