Fifty-seven straight days of rain. By late December, the townsfolk were praying things would freeze over. Make a rink out of the flooded crossroads. Something for the kids at least. The little storms kept coming. Mild, except for the incessant wind, and every few hours the water would dump in… Read More »Diluvium
“This, ladies and gentlemen, is what it means to be truly debauched.” Mr. Pembroke gestured broadly, his tucked shirt pulling against a brown leather belt, sweat stains beginning to form beneath his arms. “Works of an irascible deviant, actions of absolute contempt for the principles of this great society. A… Read More »Trial at Town Hall
No amount of bleach could battle the aging grey of Alfonse’s apron. No method of chemical treatment could revive the brightness that once gleamed through the glass display cases, replaced now by a dishwater dinge from decades of use. Each day, the old man faithfully tied the strings behind his… Read More »Aprons
“I’ve been alone in this room for a thousand years.” Neville spoke aloud to no one, as he often did. The bare, slate grey walls had a way of expanding and contracting in his mind, and on days they felt particularly close, he would deliver unfiltered speeches to an audience… Read More »Solitude
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