The lithe woman in a flowery muslin dress attacks her Olympia typewriter on her timeworn desk. Near an open window, a Fendt tractor rattles. The engine’s tack tack tack travels into the county office on a hot breeze. Dark eyes… Continue Reading
He pulled into the Chevron station in Orlando, looked left and noticed Clint Eastwood pumping gas into his Ford F-150 while Marilyn Monroe, perched in the passenger seat, applied lipstick via the rearview mirror. Moments later Elston pushed a shopping… Continue Reading
As his Personal Area Network handshook with his office, a message flashed in Johnson’s contacs: “Updates available for Norman’s Anti-Virus. Please left-blink to download.” He quickly shut his left eye twice, and an hourglass icon formed in the corner of… Continue Reading
You’ve just brushed your teeth and stand before a basin of cloudy water. The cause of blockage is head hair. Your spouse washes her hair in the sink. You can fix this. Don’t get in a tizzy. You won’t be… Continue Reading
“We apologise for the bumps, everyone. We’re trying to climb up above it but the turbulence might last a little longer so we’re keeping the seat belts signs on for the moment,” announced the pilot. Beth leant forward, peering out… Continue Reading
She has been hearing a faint ticking above her. Not regular, only after long pauses. She turns on the lamp beside her, gets out of bed, stands beneath the ceiling fan from which she’s sure the sound originates. It’s not… Continue Reading
Jim sat at the kitchen table, turning his coffee mug around and around. The clock on the wall ticked louder than usual. Outside, rain tapped softly against the window. He looked up when he heard the front door open. “You’re… Continue Reading
It was a good year for flowers. My parents’ flower farm was small petunias compared to the big players in the game, but it provided a decent living for them and me and my brothers. We didn’t have the massive… Continue Reading
When Ella Marie first woke up one morning with a rechargeable desk fan for a head, she found it infuriating that nobody noticed the change. Her husband’s calm, breakfast-in-mouth greeting of “You look lovely as always, dear,” made her want… Continue Reading
The Transylvania Express rocked and rattled through the Romanian darkness. Despite the name, it was a slow train running on Soviet-era rails. Anastasia, a twenty-five-year-old hospice nurse, was returning to her compartment at midnight when she bumped into her great-great-grandfather.… Continue Reading