Marcy flipped the burgers meticulously, checking each for the appropriate char marks, the telltale bits of grease, and as she went to hang the tongs in their usual place, she missed the rail of the grill and dropped them into oblivion. For several days, the Barvelle family had been trying… Read More »A Hole in The Yard
Ten steps beyond a bed of thistle, the wildflowers relaxed their hold on the meadow, leaving a jagged square of short grass among the overgrowth. Julia approached the botanical oddity, face hot and nerves pulsing, and decided it was a perfect place to sit. She pulled the blades between her… Read More »Wildflowers
“The tank’s just empty, Pa. I dunno what gives.” Silas chewed on a reed and kicked at the tilled soil beneath his feet. It hadn’t rained in weeks. Clouds hung low overhead, deep grey and menacing, but no matter how humid it got, how much the rich scent of precipitation… Read More »That Old Farm
Despite her seriousness about the matter, Talia knew she looked ridiculous, hands held over her head, fingers knotted into a best guess version of the runic scribbles on the page before her. The book had already worked once, and the girls were eager for a second success. In the garden… Read More »Triune
The cab crawled to halt and Hubert felt a growing knot in his stomach. He handed the ragged driver several twenty dollar bills, each smashed and rumpled into a unique geometry. The heavy sedan door clunked shut behind him, and Hubert stepped onto the terrace of his childhood home. The… Read More »Collecting The Past
Her mother was all smiles and hugs when she answered the door, but Lisa could sense the resentment lingering beneath the greetings. It had been five years since they spoke in person, nearly fifteen since they’d been together under this roof. Lisa crossed the threshold, her mother’s welcoming hand upon… Read More »Homecoming
The mid-shelf rye wasn’t enough, and Clem had to beg for a taste of the good stuff that was surely tucked away. He whistled and waved with limited success. He knocked his knuckles against the ridge of the bar and gained little but a glance from the sweatstained purveyor on… Read More »Windfall
At three minutes to five, Amos Green reached over and turned off the alarm before it had the chance to ring. Taking great care not to wake the sleeping old woman who shared his bed, Mr. Green slide his feet from beneath the blankets and plopped them directly into the… Read More »Slow Dance
At some point, the little girl was promised, there would be fireworks. Kelsey trundled along on shoes velcroed tightly to her feet, fist wrapped around her brother’s index finger, and took in the spectacle of her surroundings. Shoulder showing halter tops, knees exposed at the edges of floral shorts. The… Read More »A Glimpse of Independence
The clipboard spring snapped its little metal bar dutifully back into place. An embossed pen, freshly filled with jet black ink, clicked into a custom-fashioned bracket. A pair of polished leather shoes traversed bubbling linoleum and approached the sole inhabitant of the waiting room. “I assure you, madam, the problems… Read More »Trinkets