Although she’d stuffed it to the back of the cupboard, every so often a small patch of the brown dress peaked out. But, unlike her regular well-worn clothes, the brown dress never enjoyed the light of day. Ten years earlier she had tried the dress on in order to show her mother that her gift … Continue reading
Category Archives: Fiction
The Bird According to Jack
Jack-Be-Nimble—seventeen, energetic, restless—stretched back on the grassy bank, his feet dangling in the brook. The cool white water bubbled past, tugging his toes and ticking his arches. Eyes closed, he savored the sound of the water gurgling and the murmur of the wind in the leaves. He studied the soft grey clouds floating across the … Continue reading
The Dead Bird
We found the dead bird when we were unpacking the trunk. It was amongst my aunt’s things. She usually released them when they died but she had chosen to keep this one. He lay in his box as pristine and jeweled as if asleep. We studied his small remains for clues. My aunt had kept … Continue reading
The Bronsons’ Good Luck
Stunned by the unexpected and horrifying declaration of the hot-dog lady, I’m rethinking my lifelong indignation about the Bronson’s good luck. The Bronsons’ were the idyllic family that lived across the street. Our houses a before and after illustration; our families choppy waters and smooth sailing. After we moved away, I imagined the four Bronsons … Continue reading
Blue Nails
As the funeral hymns droned on, Stella fretted that the stores would close before she could buy a much-needed alarm clock. With the old curmudgeon now a jar of dust she needed something to wake her on dark mornings. The only good thing about the old guy—who was in no way like the man the … Continue reading
Helen
I need time to consider my options and prepare my defense. If I renege on my promise to not run in the next election, my usually mild mannered husband will be angry, but circumstances have changed since my blithe commitment to him. And David has some responsibility. Had he not pointed out the newspaper report … Continue reading
Betrayal
Drifting in and out of consciousness, his raw face pricked by the coarse grass, Evan’s sense of betrayal burned through the pain. His first tears in over sixty years spilled down his bleeding cheeks. His cowardly attempt to escape witnessing her anguish had failed. He had made many promises in his life, some of which … Continue reading
Wait for me
So many emotions rattled around Leslie’s brain—disappointment, irritation, and rejection—it was impossible to sleep. The problem was not a strange bed. Her sister had lived in the apartment for years and Leslie had visited and stayed the night—albeit reluctantly—more than once. However, on other occasions Leslie hadn’t been ripped out of her midnight musings by … Continue reading
Days of Heroes
Until a week ago Christopher thought it was all coming together. After the incident with Melina and his boss’ reaction to it, he knew it was all coming apart. What to do? His brother-in-law, an addict forever in search of a quick cure, presently touted the “The Stages of Change” system, as a guide to … Continue reading
High Noon
Before her husband’s outburst, Jessica had considered confessing about the missed call. She prided herself on her honesty whatever the damage. The only subject she scuttled around—a perilous country of land mines—was Will’s father, the cause of the outburst. If Will knew what she’d done, he’d neither understand nor forgive her. As it was, he … Continue reading