The brownies kicked in as he settled his canoe on the water. It was a cool morning, breaking off from a string of muggy September days, and a mist hung over the glassy river. He checked his watch: 5:13am, thirty… Continue Reading
Her home was not a reflection of herself. Its walls didn’t exude her humor, wit, or pastimes. Shia was the result of a culture she didn’t belong to, its customs rooted in pop culture references and hip-hop. I can remember… Continue Reading
I had my first mystical experience when I was seven. I was at my grandfather’s. We were on the sofa together watching cartoons, when all of a sudden the screen went black. In the cartoon’s place appeared a photo of… Continue Reading
The lawman tapped his steel-toed boot lightly against the door. It swung open, revealing two couches facing one another. The room itself was modestly clean besides a few beer bottles lying neatly in a pile in the corner of the… Continue Reading
The room is dark, nearly black. There ‘s no electricity. The sound of sex from the next room overrides the breathy silence of bodies passed out around me. I try to keep warm, snuggling with my friend, Alicia. We share… Continue Reading
Sweating Buffalo takes the pipe into his big hands and puffs like a train climbing a steep grade. A smoke-sweet smell quickly fills the bathroom. “It was another life,” he says, eyes gone dreaming. I prod him with a broom… Continue Reading
Eddie Horrigan was a ride jock for a carnival. Angela came by the carousel first night in town. She pulled at the gomer with her. “Let’s ride the merry-go-round, Delbert.” Delbert studied Eddie. “We’ll ride the Ferris Wheel.” “I want… Continue Reading
When I close my eyes, I can still see her. Before I go to bed, Alice, my cute little sister, dances behind my eyelids. When I throw my head back with a shot of vodka, Alice’s gap-toothed smile cheers me… Continue Reading
Jack Coggins is skitzing into his thirty-sixth hour without sleep, fried on crank, driving the Escalade he stole in Texarkana, driving hard, driving himself harder. The last twelve hours fit his mind like mismatched pieces of a jigsaw puzzle stomped… Continue Reading
I met her on a go-fast night at Will’s house. She was an old friend of Will’s. She slouched on the couch. I put myself on the floor in front of her after we were introduced. Her eyes were eclipsed… Continue Reading