Tag Archives: short fiction

Don’t Rock the Boat: Pacific City

They followed the man with the white hair down the paved stones that wound its way through the private bungalows. Peggy had pulled the handkerchief she kept in her jacket pocket out and had it pressed up to her face. The scratches from the bark of the branch would heal pretty quickly, but the black eye and fat lip were going to linger. Aster was walking close enough next to her that their arms were brushing up against each other. After passing a couple of the bungalows Peggy took Aster’s hand and squeezed. They gave her a watery smile. It had never happened to Peggy, but she couldn’t imagine being possessed was a fun thing you could just throw off.

Gallows of Love

The DJ cut Rhianna off mid-sentence and announced that it was time for the first dance. Everybody in the large hall settled, twisting in their seats to see the dance floor or getting up to surround it, phones in hand and set to record. The bride, surrounded by the tufts of champagne lace he rememberedContinue reading “Gallows of Love”

We’re Going To Be Friends: A Body of Thieves

At first, all he was aware of was his stomach being pulled up into his throat and the sickening, nauseating squeeze and roll it was doing. His heart was pounding to beat out of his chest, pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears even over the air rushing by. His ears and nose immediately froze and became numb. He was squeezing his eyes shut so hard he could see silent green fireworks blooming over and over and over. The panic and fear inside had become so absolute and so pure it had replaced every single rational thought with nothing but loud television static.

An Attic in the Middle of the Night

Children, especially very young children, don’t know anything. More, they don’t know what they don’t know. Their brains are black holes, taking in everything, spaghettifying the concepts, and coming away with the wrong idea. They must be taught everything, especially the things adults take for granted. How physics works. How people work. Don’t touch that.Continue reading “An Attic in the Middle of the Night”

The Day the World Came to Town

Sunshine, warm and soft, fell through the open window onto Dagny’s face. It was early, and the sun had not discovered what it would be angry about today. It would. It was nearly the end of April. The sun had been angry since the last week of March. But now the sun was still halfContinue reading “The Day the World Came to Town”