Mrs. Jane Kotwitz eyed the lesson plan with curious disapproval. Typed neatly with plenty of white margin for notes, the plan for third hour simply read, “Paxton — reading. He takes the lone seat by the windows.” Mrs. Kotwitz’s eyes… Continue Reading
Tag likes blood. He savors the sight, the smell, even the taste when hit hard enough to find some of his own in his mouth. He likes the Game and making the other boys bleed. He enjoys his own wounds… Continue Reading
They hired some of the village men, including Waxy and me, to help dig the holes. It was hard work, mostly, but in a time when money’s tight, hard work will do. When the university men came to Barlow, the… Continue Reading
Ben shows up at Haley’s place after dinner one night. He knocks on the door, and she opens it, cautiously, leaving the security chain in place. One of her blue eyes appears in the crack. “Oh… Ben?” “Surprised?” “Well…” She… Continue Reading
I park my truck across the street from Julie’s house most nights. She’s not there anymore, not since graduation. But I sit in the cab anyway with my pistol — the snub nose .38 I saved three months to buy… Continue Reading
Some people swore that the house was haunted. Because of this, the children were afraid. Their father requested a haul-away dumpster, bringing his sledgehammer and pry bar, gloves and safety goggles. With these tools and free weekend hours, he aimed… Continue Reading
Mom had already been crying when she found me sitting on the concrete floor of the garage with a hammer in my hand. I’d been smashing marbles. All of them — the clear ones with the sparkly centers that I… Continue Reading
Stefan found the monkey hiding under a dumpster in the alley behind the Caleta Hotel. He was a scrawny Barbary Macaque with matted, clumpy hair. Lost and hungry. Stefan, himself a little lost and hungry in a different sense, lured him with a… Continue Reading
Alan winced each time a kink surfaced in Jerry’s fifth birthday party, fearing he’d catch the heat of Maggie’s ire. He was innocent of the first problem; the rain ruined their scheduled activities at the new park, a square block… Continue Reading
The MedService van squealed to a halt in front of 2113 Rosebud Court five minutes after receiving the call. Two men climbed out, both wearing the company coveralls in navy blue — third shift navy blue. Name tags were stitched… Continue Reading