Swinging Statues was a game our older cousin Ella taught us. “I’ll show you how to play,” she said, gripping us by both hands and spinning us laughing, teetering, dizzily around and around and then letting us go. On the… Continue Reading
James slid further down in the driver’s seat of his worn-out Opel Kadett, lighting another cigarette, his hands shaking more than usual. The cigs were the only vice he still allowed himself. But they didn’t do much to calm his… Continue Reading
Papa comes home with a large white canvas and a brown paper bag filled with paints and brushes. He closes the cabin door behind him, shutting out the flurries, and shakes the snow from his hair. “Use these,” he says.… Continue Reading
The podium is uneven on the grassy outdoors, and Anthony feels it wobble slightly as he rests his notepad and palms atop it. The hum of the wind lilts as he clears his throat and loosens his black tie just… Continue Reading
One summer night in 1912, the village constable informed Abraham Abramowitz, age 18, that he was to report for conscription into the Czar’s army the following morning. This did not sit well with Abraham, since his Uncle Yitzhak had told… Continue Reading
When the bus dropped me off, I checked the mail for my grandma as I always did. In the stack, there was a letter for me, which felt odd and exciting. Letters don’t come often for most sixteen-year-olds. It was… Continue Reading
“Checkmate!” Harold said as he knocked his opponent’s bishop out of the way. “Dang it, not again,” Roger muttered. “What do ya say, one more shot at redeeming myself?” Harold glanced at his watch. “I guess I’ve got one more… Continue Reading
The clock strikes five. I run a finger down the window pane through the condensation. Outside, the unseasonably warm winter winds bustle through the trees, and naked branches dance and sing in the last sad throes of death. They say… Continue Reading
Mom was way into Santa. But I always found the red suit, flushed pigmentation, and overall jolliness a bit creepy. Not to mention the standing invitation for strangers to sit on his lap. When I argued that he couldn’t possibly… Continue Reading
The guitar would cost extra. Liam tallied up the baggage costs in his head. His son usually forgot something important like underwear or Ted Bear. Liam didn’t remember seeing Ted last night when he tucked his son into bed, though.… Continue Reading