People can never imagine her a girl — as if she sprang full form from Hell, evil embodied in one small woman. (And she is small. People don’t notice as she kills them. But she’s actually quite tiny. I’m taller… Continue Reading
I walk into the restaurant, wearing a dress that reveals no cleavage and low heels as befits a widow of my age, fifty-five. Waving at the hostess, I continue on. His husky voice comes from the bar, my stomach flutters… Continue Reading
“Caroline! CAAAROLINE! Hey, do you–” “Amy? Amy, whoa. Careful! Are you?” “Blasted! Toasted! Roasted! Crunk! Gone! Beyond… gone.” “Jeez, stand still! What did you drink?” “Whatever Mike put into that cup.” “Some brother.” “Some brother! My brother! He sent me… Continue Reading
It was a Bush that my grandfather received as a present back in 1958. It was housed in an expensive wooden cabinet with dials for volume, treble and bass, piano keys to switch between the bands, and a needle moving… Continue Reading
She had a cactus in her back yard, but she had no friends. When the cactus bloomed silky white flowers, she would watch them from a lawn chair, all alone. She loved TV, but she had no friends. When her… Continue Reading
When my phone rings, I don’t expect it to be Amy. She never enters my mind when I pick up. Each time I see her name on the screen, it’s a surprise. Each time, I’ve forgotten, and then I remember… Continue Reading
“That was the first one.” I point an accusatory finger at the large heart-shaped box of candy Millie holds. “I found it under the porch swing.” Millie hefts it in hands that are just as old as mine but not… Continue Reading
Raythene was a stunner, her mother was a glory — lustrous, the pair of them. The grandfather — people called him Beautiful Joe, and you know what that means. Scare the shit out of Satan. If you claimed you weren’t… Continue Reading
Anna let herself go limp as Katy lifted her into the back of the shopping cart they had just stolen from the grocery store parking lot down the block. “At least all of the weight loss makes it easier to… Continue Reading
Your mother called me after you went missing, asking if I knew anything they should know. There aren’t a lot of places to hide in Victorsville, and she was worried because no one had seen you since the night before.… Continue Reading