People like us, like Martin and me, didn’t skip funerals. Especially not our own, or his own, I should say. “Just let go,” the masseuse again commanded in her Russian-ish accent. I couldn’t blame her for trying. But I could almost picture my shoulder muscles …
One night you get set up on a blind date with a struggling magician. You’re attracted to him—he’s tall, a great listener, and serious. As you arrive, he’s idling at the bar in a three-piece-suit, which makes you feel guilty for wearing a shaggy, threadbare …
Girl crept down the stairs on her first night home, treading sideways to keep her weight off the outer, squeaky portion of each step. When she descended far enough into the living room, she saw the Devil in a corner chair that no one ever …
Lucas closed her nightstand drawer, careful to leave no evidence he had opened it―she would notice a handkerchief pushed aside, know he had been snooping through her things. Retrieving his book, he reclined on the reading sofa next to the window collecting patches of …
I was driving along an empty street of no more than twenty sparsely spaced houses. Two of them were burning, or rather smoldering with a lot of smoke. Trees, mostly half-dead willows or withered pines, stood tall in front of the houses, behind picket fences …
When I was a child I knew a wonderful truth: there was only one red-breasted robin in the world, his name was Jack, and we shared a quiet friendship. When I woke up in the morning and looked out the window, Jack peered back from …
The cello case was old. Its black lacquered wood, once polished to a shine, was now dulled by dozens of scratches and scuffs. Frayed duct tape covered a long split along its front. A weathered leather strap was wrapped around it like a belt. It …
“You say your name is Baltimore, huh?” She nodded, once. The barrel of his gun, staring at her, intently. “Well, what kind of a name is that?” “Not my real one.” She mumbled. “What?” “Baltimore is not my real name.” “Well, what’s your name then, …
1. As Julixa was frying an egg for lunch, she had a vision: Torches flickered in her peripheral, the ground dropped away on all sides like stairs on a pyramid. Hands flew up to her face. In them, a halved coconut. Filled with blood. There …
I stood in the darkness, pondering the purpose of the towering barrier. Was it to keep something out or to keep something in? Both, said a voice. I spun around, looking for the source. I saw no one upon reflection; that made sense. I hadn’t …
