Route 160 out of Durango runs crooked and dusty past Mesa Verde National Park, and that’s where the first fight of the day erupts. Asher is apparently on his sister’s side. “Mo-om!” Ellie pleads. “Make him move!” Justine, from her… Continue Reading
Chuck reached for the phone. He had never talked much on the phone and had never much liked it. He wasn’t that sort of man. He had been the sort of man who awoke at 4:00 a.m., even on weekends,… Continue Reading
They both had been around for a long time. Even though they were in the same business, they had never actually met – until now, when they were unexpectedly pressed up against each other. “Hello, handsome!” “How do you do,… Continue Reading
My patrol had taken longer than I had anticipated, and I returned at dusk, the cold December air clinging to me as I snuck back into the house. After weeks of spying, I finally had the intel from the last… Continue Reading
Constable Gil Hadrian leaned against the side of a building, taking a break from his weaving walk through the alley somewhere in the Priesthorpe district of Ashford. All these temples looked alike after seven drinks. Or was it eight? He… Continue Reading
Bob hated Christmas. It brought to mind memories of when his parents fought, usually after a long night of spiked eggnog. While his parents’ quarreling was far in the past, Bob still found the forced merriment of holidays unbearable. If… Continue Reading
Crushed, frozen and unable to breathe, Brother Martin cried out in panic, “Lord, where am I?” “Dead, under a hundred feet of snow.” The Lord’s voice was clear and unaffected. “You’ve been buried for centuries on the side of the… Continue Reading
Horrified to learn that his birthday burger used to moo, Federico decided to atone for his crime and restore the cow to life. He went to the carniceria and bought as much beef as a hundred bucks (all his birthday… Continue Reading
Dinosaurs are smarter than you might think. Too smart, maybe, for their own good. “I simply do not believe in time travel,” says the T-Rex. It roars emphatically, blood from its fresh kill still glistening on its angry fangs. “While… Continue Reading
As soon as Miss Kate left detention class for the toilet, Edelle scrambled over to Leah. “Flippidy books,” Edelle said, and flung Leah’s hardbacks from her desk, spreading them on the ground. Jaryd sat cowering in his seat, drawing squiggly… Continue Reading