I’ve never been afraid of the monster under my bed. I can’t recall ever asking my parents to leave the door ajar and I never wanted a night light. I found comfort in the silence, even when all I could… Continue Reading
Her husband knew about the closet stacked with art supplies. The paints, pencils, pastels, dozens of brushes of varying quality. Chalk, charcoal, and graphite. After Emma turned three, she dedicated a corner to craft supplies, glitter, stickers, markers and crayons.… Continue Reading
I drown those I play with in the salty deeps. They struggle and scream against my lips. I kiss them, my arms like soft nets. They despair, eyes gazing into mine until the gazes lose that spark. That life, that… Continue Reading
Gene had always been a lucky guy. He attributed his luck to good genes, of which his family had an overabundance. He was fresh-faced and rosy, had a strong body and a sturdy build, and enjoyed health and happiness and… Continue Reading
Louise arrived late for her second homecare client of the day. At fifty-nine, she might be on the cusp of elderly herself. The beginning of spring marked her fifth year of employment with in-home care. She hadn’t missed teaching art… Continue Reading
The main problem with the workshop was that we were all writing in different languages. Each of us. I came to understand it as part of a study led by a professor of linguistics, though I’m not sure that story… Continue Reading
In the morning, Mrs. Anderson said: “We’re all just dustbins. You and I are no different from cobwebs or used paper plates. Everything inside us gets swept away by the wind eventually.” By afternoon, Principal Lopez was standing in the… Continue Reading
If I saw all my ex-boyfriends on the train, I would not be surprised. There’s a section called the Transbay Tube that most commuters take and it is crowded. Breathing in there can be difficult sometimes and nobody was free… Continue Reading
Singleton is a country town in New South Wales, with about sixteen thousand residents, but on a Monday lunchtime during the Covid lockdown not one of them was on the street. Amelia, lecturer in philosophy of history at Sydney University,… Continue Reading
Frank prided himself on being a conscientious drunk. Sure, after a few drinks, he’d talk a bit louder than usual, and there was that hot feeling in his ears that felt a little too cozy to be healthy. Yet all… Continue Reading