“How much does it cost?” “That depends; how much can you afford?” The man who had entered Ava’s office was seventy if he was a day. His face was set in a permanent scowl, his lips pursed at the corners… Continue Reading
It’s finally Friday, but it’s fucking Valentine’s Day, and I’m walking across the snow, beneath towering pine trees draped in lime-green wolf lichen, the name of which I learned yesterday, and which is now fifty percent of my knowledge of… Continue Reading
The coffee’s good here at Sara’s Café, and at 7:45 in the morning the doughnuts are still bubbling in the fryers. That’s why I chose this place. Well, that and the fact that there’s hardly a soul in the building… Continue Reading
Of course I have a muse! Doesn’t everyone? Well, where the heck do you think all your wonderful ideas come from? Not from you — that’s for sure. My gosh, most people can’t even remember to put on matching socks… Continue Reading
“He’s coming tonight to see you. Can you believe it?” My best friend’s green eyes bore into mine, her face so close I can see every freckle on her nose, smell the cotton candy on her breath. The delight she… Continue Reading
We thought it’d be fun. It’s an open secret that teachers can be as bored as their students. Why not mix things up? All the classes participated, from 1A to 5F. We put the pi symbol on bulletin boards, had… Continue Reading
Johnathan Hallister put the hermit crab in a Tupperware container and pulled up pet stores. They were a seasonal stocked item, and the four stores were all sold out, and all four employees told him a different expectation of dates,… Continue Reading
Sami flipped her calendar over to the month of February, took a swig of coffee and offered the new month her middle finger. As if January — the longest, bleakest month of the year — hadn’t sent her swirling into… Continue Reading
“Can I ask you a question?” his little voice echoed through the darkened corridor while they inched their way forward. “What is it, buddy?” the man asked the boy, more afraid of his inability to answer the boy’s questions than… Continue Reading
Six firemen slouch in oily booths, still sooty, roaring behind egg sandwiches. Fists bang, eggs burst and drizzle, and helmets spin around like tortoise shells. They wheeze, laughing, because new guy burned his tongue. “It’s third degree,” he moans, as… Continue Reading