The sign above the door read, “The Pierotta sisters. Psychic readings. Achieve wealth, love, and happiness! Walk-ins welcome.” Archie wasn’t sure if he believed in psychics, but he was feeling desperate. He’d been demoted at work. His girlfriend Eliza was… Continue Reading
I stop myself before reaching the door. What the hell am I doing? I’ve never done anything like this before. This is stupid. Reluctantly, I pull open the door to enter the restaurant. What if she doesn’t like me? What… Continue Reading
He turned a corner in the Big Barn hardware and saw a woman at the far end of the aisle gawking up the skyscrapers of faucets, basins, and vanities with an open-lipped smile so shocked with delight that he stopped… Continue Reading
Alice misted the variegated leaves. A ripple of delight coursed through her body as though it were her sensation rather than the plant’s. Perfect, sighed the plant. Her finger paused on the trigger of the mister. Involuntarily, Alice placed it… Continue Reading
Momma homeschooled. I’d kneel in the back seat of our Buick on a carpet of fast food wrappers counting the contents of the trunk. This was Momma’s version of education, having me remind her what we had in our stolen… Continue Reading
The smoke from mortar fire mixed with fog hung low over the trenches. Heinrich trod the planks over the mud, hands wrapped in rags, rifle slung over one shoulder. Night was falling on the broken and burnt field between him… Continue Reading
Clink. The sound of my footfall reverberated across the island, swelling to a loud chime before subsiding. It wasn’t the sound I expected. Blood ran down my cheek. I was exhausted from the swim, and the crash into the sea… Continue Reading
Humphrey Bogart’s life was, in all respects, banal. He was waiting for the next patient in his examination room, watching the hands of his clock parse time. Decades ago, doctors would have enjoyed this respite lounging in the facility break… Continue Reading
When I reached my fifth birthday, my mum and dad took me into the front room. They had prepared a surprise. I tried to tug at the old grey blanket they had draped over my present and it crashed to… Continue Reading
They were on their way to buy wine and cheese and pick out a movie at the video store. It was his first time meeting her parents and he wanted to impress them even though she had said they were… Continue Reading