My friend Tyler told me he hated Darren, the ten-year-old boy in our neighborhood with a cape. Hated that he brandished a sword made from the cardboard pole of paper towels. Hated that his sheath was a deep fanny pack… Continue Reading
For Mom and Dad. Thank you for reading to me. A Hundred Easy Lessons, and these have shaped me most. On my fifth birthday, Mom gave me an imagination. It was made up of dusty pages from old books, broadsword… Continue Reading
“Man, we were good buddies. My dad always said he was a hard worker too. He hired Jake, my dad did. He worked like a bull too. Back then I don’t think he had much of a home life so… Continue Reading
I think I’m supposed to kiss her now. She’s staring intently into my eyes, and I can feel her breathing on me, her bubblegum lip gloss coming too close, too close. I pretend to be fascinated by the water cooler… Continue Reading
“Wherever we end up, it’s gotta be better than this.” Without another word, the girl climbed into the transporter. Kaya looked on as, one by one, others climbed in and jumped away. But she wasn’t convinced. Not protesting like the… Continue Reading
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