December 2015 I never go to the beach anymore. These days the thin line of sand holding back the endless sea is littered with piles of life jackets, discarded rafts and weeping women. Not that I need to go that… 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
For Jake, the new year couldn‘t arrive faster. The Christmas season that was meant to bring joy came as a nuisance in the form of traffic gridlocks, unnecessary gift exchanges, and forced smiles at holiday parties. The green and red… Continue Reading
Janelle stared at the medicine cabinet mirror and gave herself, and her black and white polka dot bikini, a final appraisal. She tried not to grimace. Trusting her counselors was part of her therapy. The real test was what reaction… Continue Reading
Two hundred and seventy-four days. That was how long Samantha had been waiting. Seconds slowly ticked away as Samantha re-checked the clock. Days felt even longer in school. She tried listening to her algebra teacher talk about theorems and equations,… Continue Reading
The Serpent shuddered as he stirred. He shifted his great coils, wrapped throughout the Earth, sending tremors across the planet. He had been perfectly still for a long time, and as he awoke quakes shook every continent. Something had interrupted… Continue Reading
I saw her for the second time in six years at a record store south of Old Town, near the Jazz, Blues and Standards section, leafing past Glen Miller and Thelonius Monk. She was dressed in beige and had her… Continue Reading
A red glove pummelled Jake’s ribs, then another socked his chin before the bell went ‘ding’ with him still standing. Like every muscle in Jake’s body, his head now throbbed to its own rasping beat. The exuberant cheers of the… Continue Reading
Violet wasn’t sure when it happened, but lately her self-confidence had dipped. Not that she ever sought to be the centre of attention, but she no longer revelled in meeting new people. Somewhere between retiring and downsizing, her confidence had… Continue Reading
Ever since his wife died, riding the bus became Oscar’s outing for the day. He once enjoyed walking, but his hips made a simple stroll to the corner a painful experience. Hip replacement surgery was discussed by his doctor, but… Continue Reading