Macie was in with the doctor when her cell phone rang. Her phone sat in the crowded waiting room with her husband, Carson. The ringtone actually spoke the words, “Ring-Ring,” repeatedly for six full rings, unless the call was answered sooner. The volume was turned up full….
Read MoreLuke Ford sat on a bar stool at the After Hours Bar. He smoked a cigarette, something the bar owner allowed only after regular closing time. He also sold drinks after hours to regulars, illegal …
Read MoreAs usual Cynthia woke up at ten minutes past five a.m. on Friday morning without the help of her alarm clock. She had turned off the alarm months ago. She didn’t need it. Her body clock never failed. Having showered the night before…
Read MoreI’m going to tell you a story, knowing you won’t like me when you hear it. I’m telling my story now because I hope that in the telling, I won’t be haunted by it anymore. I’m not the only man who…
Read More“Well, little sister, what’s so important that we had to meet this early on a Wednesday morning? Is it even light out yet?”
“Good morning to you too,” she said. “It’s Jack. I can’t take it anymore. I’m leaving him…”
Read More“Please don’t think I’m silly, or even foolish when I tell you this, but after being divorced for five years, I simply had to try it. I’m an educated woman, just turned 55, which, as you know, I’m not entirely comfortable revealing. But there it is, 55…”
Read MoreHe was in one of those states, neither sleeping soundly nor fully awake. He felt a presence though. He opened his eyes slightly expecting to see someone. The angel of death coming to claim him?…
Read More“It’s getting late,” Michelle said. She ran her fingers through her dark hair.
“One more for the road. It’s Christmas Eve,” Joe said as he drained what was left in his beer glass. The couple had been married in June. This would be their first Christmas together.
“All our friends left an hour ago...”
Read More“I’m exhausted, Freddy. I mean it. I feel the sweat running down my back. This suit is way to heavy for a warm day like this.” His helper, Deanna, a young woman, dressed as an elf, stood nearby, listening. She…
Read MoreTom Shaw stood in his empty parking lot, befuddled yet again by what he saw on the other side of the highway. It was 11:15 a.m. and already…
Read More…Stan wanted Lisa to say the words first. This was important to him because he’d concluded that whoever uttered the words first was more in love than the partner who merely responded in kind. He waited, sensing…
Read MoreThe young men were standing near the line in the courtyard of the old art museum, waiting for its doors to open. “See that girl in the white dress?” Andrea asked.
“What girl? There’s at least three, maybe four girls wearing…
Read MoreI wasn’t sound asleep yet when I heard the doorbell ring. I glanced at the alarm clock and saw it was midnight. I muttered a curse word under my breath and closed my eyes. Again, the doorbell rang. Maybe it was…
Read MoreJosie was catching up on her tabs from breakfast. It had been slow again. The Bristol Stomp by the Dovells was playing on the jukebox. She shifted from one foot to the other while she worked, but she wasn’t dancing…
Read MoreHe felt her stirring. Rolling over to face her he saw her eyes, still closed. He wasn’t fooled, though. She was awake. “I’m going to do everything I can to outlive you, you know that?”
She opened her eyes…
Read MoreConnie stood in front of her kitchen island kneading dough on a wooden board. She was making her taralles. It was the hardest part of the job. She knew her husband Rick was watching television because she could see his…
Read MoreHe swung his three-pound club hammer hard, demolishing the spider that had been crawling toward the entrance.
“Looks like you got it, whatever it was.”
Markus jumped. “How long you been here?”
“Who wants to know?”
Read More“Stevens, there’s someone here to see you.” He looked up from the book he was reading.
“Who is it?” He asked.
“You’ll be quite surprised,” Margie said.
“I was already surprised once today. I woke up again this morning...”
Read More“Name’s George. What’s yours kid?”
“Dennis. You’re kind of in my way, sorry.”
The man looked behind him at the way. “Standing right on home plate, I see.”
Read MoreI'm not sure this is a good idea," Tricia said. She was glad she had insisted on a public place. She suggested a Seattle's Best Coffee in the center of her small, but growing, town.
But Herman said, “We’ll never get a table at Seattle’s Best, and if we do, the noise will make good conversation impossible. Let’s meet at the library...”
Read More
