Paul walks by balancing a stack of paperbacks on his hairy arms. Faded covers and yellowed pages that are ripe for Second Hand upstairs, which I’ll have to check out later. I pretend not to notice him as he throws… Continue Reading
Cara just left and already the house is in ruins. Dishes rise in tetris piles on every countertop. Mark doesn’t remember eating off them. The fridge hums to itself, dumb and empty. “I’m the fastidious one,” he tells the cat,… Continue Reading
“Please, don’t,” I plead, placing sweating palms on the counter, my heart racing. It’s all I can think to say. It’s not enough. The clerk’s eyes flick toward me, back to the gunman, who’s looking away, checking for other customers.… Continue Reading
Before you go, you can revisit any day from your life, said Death. Señora Damaris sat in her musty sofa. The TV chattered soft and mindless and the late afternoon light silhouetted a fly on the window curtain. Damaris exhaled… Continue Reading
Miranda wandered through the crowds along the Thames, trying to remember what happiness felt like. She was sure she’d experienced it before — brief moments, or perhaps something more — but now it was just a word, with no memories… Continue Reading
The bulbous brown and yellow forms resembled animals, swimming in a sea of spun sapphire. I should have waited to take the pill. It always made me see things, or at least see things differently. The woman wearing the low-cut… Continue Reading
What Caitlyn drew came alive. Broad strokes of floppy green leaves, vibrant purple and yellow with a strawberry center; she drew that when she was 4. The crayon wobbled in her plump fist, resulting in wavy, amorphous leaves, but the… Continue Reading
“Hi Linda! It’s Ralph again, from ‘New Life Start!’ calling to remind you: your very own ‘New Life Start!’ begins today! Just as soon as you mail us that check—” “Ralph?” said the voice on the other end, flatly. “This… Continue Reading
Gloria’s ghost seeped out from underneath the covers and tiptoed her way to her husband’s bedside. “Wake up,” she whispered, shoving Barney’s ghost awake. “Come on, wake up!” “Calm your horses.” Barney’s ghost leaned over the side of the bed… Continue Reading
In the old days, when people died, Death did not knock on their door, but people’s souls traveled to meet Death. This story is how I came to meet Death. When I was a child, a couple whom I came… Continue Reading