“This house is too big,” Nora said at breakfast. Craig turned away from the TV, puffy eyes magnified by his bifocals. “Those retirement communities are maintenance-free. We should think about moving.” Moving? She meant hiring a cleaning service. “Oh, please,… Continue Reading
“You don’t talk much,” the guy wearing a blue shirt said. He looked like an ordinary Joe having a conversation except that he and his partner, the other bookend, were cops charging me with murder. “Duh,” I said. “I’m a… Continue Reading
Block out all noise, and focus on the wound. This is not a person. This is a machine. It needs fixing. One blink and the screams are gone. The soft conversation in the background blends with them to create a… Continue Reading
Maggie was determined not to take any chances — her Thanksgiving dinner would be a success. She had planned it for far too long just to have it ruined by a disintegration or worse yet, by James Brenner making another… Continue Reading
Daddy stopped the car just behind an old pickup truck. He didn’t have his lights or siren on or anything. He hit the radio and told Helen we was at the wreck. I asked him why not just pull around… Continue Reading
The Dark was long this time, but just like that, it was gone. The first time The Dark was short, and not all that dark. I forgot all about it, because I met Louise right after it went away. I… Continue Reading
What I’m here for is to get a grip. You know? I had a grip, and then I think I lost my grip. I hope you can help. Back a long time ago when they still had those beauty contests, Miss Universe… Continue Reading
Listen to “Seventeen” by Virgie Townsend, read by Folly Blaine: [display_podcast] Virgie Townsend is an editor living in the DC area with her husband and dog, who she suspects is an objectivist. Her stories have been featured or are forthcoming… Continue Reading
In the first months after Canthis disappeared, the villagers spoke the words with a certain sense of pride. “Gone for good,” his relatives would say, and meant that he’d gone to fight on the side of Good, to disrupt and… Continue Reading
Fumes gathered in the air, filling the small room as Alyssa painted, but she didn’t bother to open the window. It was February, too cold to let them escape, and she did not mind sitting in them. They were almost… Continue Reading