Whenever Kim came over, she asked for milk. She drank glass after glass, the white liquid glugging down her long throat. They only drank powdered milk at her house, Kim explained. My family was poor, but Kim’s dad had been… Continue Reading
A late June crescent moon hung in the sky like a sickle as I strolled along North Ogden examining the pointed two-story homes that lined both sides of the street. Each one the same except for color, shrubbery, or an… Continue Reading
There were nights I climbed out on the fire escape and listened to the voices above. I should’ve been doing my homework, because I’d be stuck in the sixth grade for another year, but Dad had just left for work… Continue Reading
Shelly loved Mama’s garden. It didn’t have as many pretty flowers as Gramma’s, but it also didn’t have so many thorns. Shelly hated thorns. Their vindictive little spikes would scrape her arms and legs whenever she tried to explore, patterning… Continue Reading
No matter how many years pile on, I’ll always remember that little girl perched, super-still, on that pristine, red park bench. I must’ve been around her age, seven or eight — maybe, young enough to wonder how a person could… Continue Reading
Joey’s brave, I’m smart, and we’re leapfrogging pumpkins at midnight. Worse, a monster with a pitchfork is chasing us. We saw the bodies. He can’t let us get away. Hurdling a pumpkin patch, you need a good flashlight. My piece… Continue Reading
I was a good girl today. Really good. Probably better than any eleven-year-old you’ll ever see. It started in the morning when I got out of bed without my mom even having to wake me up. It’s not hard, I… Continue Reading
It smells funny in here like Gran and Gramp’s basement. My nose tickles, but I hold in my sneeze. I’m as silent as a church mouse, just like Mom told me. We’re playing a game. She told me to run… Continue Reading
There’s a hum of wasps in the air as we run past the picnic area with its cracking benches and scrappy bark to the outdoor gym. The equipment is glossy and painted in calming colours, silver and grasshopper green. I… Continue Reading
I saw the sign on my morning walk. It was taped to a lamppost at the end of the block. It read: “Missing Cat. Her name is Princess. Please call. Big reward.” The sign listed a phone number below a… Continue Reading