Three young men were sitting a few seats away from me at the counter, sun-browned and neatly scrubbed in civvies. Newly assigned at the Coast Guard station out on the point. They weren’t difficult to spot. I could pick up… Continue Reading
When Father died, Mama and I inherited a crumbling castle in a distant forest, and nothing else. But thither we went — the rest of Father’s fortune went to a male relation, who turned us out of our town house… Continue Reading
Didn’t want to be here but knew I had to be. Ovarian cancer. Stuart, who had been my doc forever, it seemed, convinced me to get the kind of care I needed by going to a big medical center. He… Continue Reading
“GREENVILLE,” read the sign. “POP 1,624 HUMBLE EARTHLING SERVANTS. HAIL ZORDOK!” In spray paint, below: “DON’T RAZE US, BRO!” Sheryl frowned. “I think we took the wrong turn. We’re supposed to still be in Spring Grove.” “Qroocha znuk!” Emperor Zordok… Continue Reading
At last the little firefly broke the silence between him and the stranger on the branch. “Lovely night without a moon. Bulb’s still dead on the farmhouse porch to boot. Yes sir, nice and dark.” “Paradise indeed,” the bigger fly… Continue Reading
The sign had been clearly placed last night and now as he shut the door with a loud bang, he checked to be sure it was secure and then hurried to his car. Michael felt his heart beat accelerate and… Continue Reading
“See anything you like?” the curse-broker asked, popping her head in through the door of the consultation room. Lauren looked up from the catalogue open across her lap. Last week, in those first moments of rage, the idea of supernatural… Continue Reading
It was quiet. Usually by now they’d be putting the screws to me, but I’d already been at my desk for half an hour and, like a Minnesota duck pond in the middle of August, nothing had gone south yet.… Continue Reading
She’d been looking forward to this date all week. With a glance at her reflection in the microwave, she confirmed what she already knew: she looked good. Violet poured two glasses of wine, smiling as she held one out. With… Continue Reading
They had met at jury duty. A strange place to find an admirer. She didn’t want to go. It was raining out, and she had been watching a movie on her couch. She hadn’t moved much from her couch in… Continue Reading