It is February 18th. The yellows, greens, and blues of the stained-glass windows give color to the otherwise white flowers surrounding the black coffin. There is a minister speaking of love and family; the love Sam was given by his family, by blood and by marriage, and the love he surely would have shown his … Continue reading A Tragedy in Red
Shadows
Despite having all of the lights on, there were shadows surrounding him, dancing on the edges of his vision. They moved slowly, sending tendrils toward with grasping hand trying to grab him before the tendrils thinned out, the hands breaking off and disappearing. He lay in bed, staring straight ahead, afraid to turn his head … Continue reading Shadows
Dance with the Devil
Katarina stood nervously in high heels and a sequined red dress. The room, which would normally be filled with the warmth of hundreds of people, was both empty and cold. High above her, the ballroom ceiling loomed in the darkness, and she could feel all of the empty space between her and the walls. There … Continue reading Dance with the Devil
Float On
Claire was in her backyard, eating chocolate cake off of a small paper plate emblazoned with monster trucks. She was about halfway finished with her piece, although she had already licked the frosting off the little toy truck that had sat on top. Her friends had torn through their own cake, although they did not … Continue reading Float On
A Burning Compulsion
Sam climbed over crumbled concrete, everywhere he touched came away black from soot and ash. The metal remains of furniture poked out in places, buried like twisted metal skeletons. There was no roof, and only a few steel beams standing like monuments in the corners to suggest that there ever was one. Sam shook his … Continue reading A Burning Compulsion
Dinner and a Glass
Jake and Molly sit across from each other. Jake is wearing a suit. Black pants and jacket, but a bright blue tie. He had debated that morning wearing a black one, but he had felt like he was putting on a costume, being a g-man, an impartial observer. So he wore blue, it is the … Continue reading Dinner and a Glass
I wait
I wait, safely, in my bunker at the bottom of the sea. In my bunker I have everything I want: I have games, and food. I have places to run, and places to sleep. I have books, too, down in my bunker. In the books I visit other places, meet other people. But only in … Continue reading I wait
Frozen Hilltop
I grew up next to a magic hill. From the top of it I could see practically into the next state. or so it felt. I don’t know what kind of magic it had, or why it had it; maybe an angel landed on it at some point, I don’t know, but I felt it: … Continue reading Frozen Hilltop
Northern Trip – Week 2: Thinking Time
I have a lot of time to think on this trip. That was part of the goal. But thinking doesn’t always lead in the directions that I expect them to. Because while I knew that I would be alone a lot on this trip, I didn’t expect to feel quite so lonely as I do … Continue reading Northern Trip – Week 2: Thinking Time
The Tide
I walk with purpose toward the endless horizon before me. On my left and my right, the waves lap gently against the shore. The clay beneath my feet is dry and cracked. It’s been a long time since the last tide, but I can see the shoreline disappearing. The waves close in on me from … Continue reading The Tide
