Dennis’s blood is bubbling up slowly from beneath my hands. It covers my arms and is all down my blouse. Dennis is trying hard to take even breaths like I told him to, but I can feel his stomach twitching in pain. He tries to speak. “Are... you sure... it will... be okay?” No. Never. … Continue reading Are you sure it will be okay?
Monsters
I set out last week on a quest to slay monsters. They have been accused of banditry, of stealing livestock, and poisoning the river with their excrement. The evidence is convincing, the cause is just. As I have been traveling I have been thinking through my approach, refining it, perfecting it. It is likely the … Continue reading Monsters
Monks
In order to meditate properly, a monk must be able to eliminate all distractions. Each year the trainees will learn to ignore a specific stimulus, from loud noises, to cold, to pain. At the end of each year they are given a test; the masters will attempt to distract the students in whatever discipline they … Continue reading Monks
Fire in the Basement
When I was leaving for work, the day before yesterday, I noticed that a small fire had started in the basement. I was already hustling to get to work on time. I decided to deal with it when I got home. The fire was still small, when I got off work. I didn’t have time … Continue reading Fire in the Basement
Backstage
Casey carefully goes through her finger exercises, limbering up each one in turn, making sure they’ll perform. She paces as she does them, and takes long, careful breaths to steady herself. She moves her head back and forth before switching to her arm warm ups. She picks up three balls, the soft beanbags are very … Continue reading Backstage
Sand
I walk with my arm in front of my face, my back hunched. The wind blows sand at me. The sand gets in my hair and my eyes. It sticks in the hair on my arms and legs and chest. My mouth has never tasted anything but grit. I stumble as the sand shifts under … Continue reading Sand
The Ultimate Point
Two dozen or so men stand on the sidelines, they are divided evenly between white and red. They are a frenzy of action, pacing up and down, yelling, cheering, encouraging. That is the last role left for them. The field stands quiet in contrast. Just 7 men to a side, calmly discussing their last-minute strategy, … Continue reading The Ultimate Point
Staying Awake
The edges of the TV fuzz and then bleed. The black from the TV mixes with the off-white background of the wall to form a grayish puddle that oozes vertically up the wall. The screen inside, no longer constrained, develops odd neon patterns that move and pulse in time to the beat of some hidden … Continue reading Staying Awake
Playing Piano
Lola’s fingers danced over the piano keys, pulling out music that was alternately sad, and happy, rigid, and playful. She got to the end, where multiple themes were woven together to form something greater than any one individually. She was trying to juggle many melodies, playing something different with each hand, and her fingers got … Continue reading Playing Piano
Fire in the Dark
It was a warm summer when Jacob went for a hike in the woods. The birds sang overhead, and the insects chirped underfoot. He loved feeling like he was walking through a green tunnel, and that nothing existed in the world except for him. He had sturdy shoes on his feet and carried a backpack … Continue reading Fire in the Dark
