Pipes banged and hissed as I heard the last of my heat fading away. The wood furnace was losing pressure fast and I knew soon there would not be enough water in the pipes to circulate heat, plunging the house… Continue Reading
As I was preparing for class, Lois Blaylock, a fellow member of the English department, burst into my office looking like she had just caught the dean in a compromising position with a chicken. She had been my mentor through… Continue Reading
The sound of his chewing made her palms sweat. It echoed in her brain. It filled every empty chair around the table, every empty room in their house. He wanted to make her wait, to intimidate her, to show her… Continue Reading
“This house is too big,” Nora said at breakfast. Craig turned away from the TV, puffy eyes magnified by his bifocals. “Those retirement communities are maintenance-free. We should think about moving.” Moving? She meant hiring a cleaning service. “Oh, please,… Continue Reading
She looks scared and not very bright. That’s Jared’s first impression, and he’s a man who bets on first impressions. She’s thin except for the swell of her belly, as round as a full moon. She’s wearing a pale blue… Continue Reading
“Where did those come from?” Val said. The door slammed shut behind her, causing the thin walls to rattle on every side of the room. I stuffed the paper I was writing into the nearest book and shut it, pinching… Continue Reading