“Mom!” Kayla knew right when she yelled it, trouble would soon follow. Trouble always did, especially when her mother had started her liquid dinner around lunchtime. Kayla, 7-years-old, was in bed, covers pulled up tightly up to her nose. Her blue eyes peeked out widely, searching for the noise that caused her to utter that… Continue reading There’s Nothing in the Closet
Category: Fiction
All the Bullets are Silver
Isabelle’s admissions portfolio is nearly ready. Brooke has the family narrative, the test scores, and the letters of recommendation. These came from Isabelle’s godmother, who runs a marketing firm, and from their pastor at First Presbyterian. Brooke wrote the third letter herself, in the voice of Isabelle’s nanny, Ellen, and had her sign it. The… Continue reading All the Bullets are Silver
Off-Cuts
Sarah Whitechapel was currently struggling to imagine life without her ring finger. The knuckles of her left hand ached as she drew her fingers into her palm for the thousandth time that morning. She’d been told it helped to visualize, but it was difficult to picture nothing where there’d once been something. It was difficult… Continue reading Off-Cuts
Power
My parents always referred to Ireland as ‘home’. I took that to heart and thought we were home, not understanding this was just a holiday. And being home in Dublin, meant we also had to travel down to my mum’s hometown, Enniscorthy, and visit the relatives there. The trip down was four kids, my mum… Continue reading Power
Ride
That Friday night, for all that came later, was a blur until Samantha drunkenly slammed his door. Taye watched her leave with her friends, then ended her ride in the app. She would tip nicely; sometimes he could just tell. He rated her the full five stars, as he did for all but the absolute… Continue reading Ride
Episode 10: “The Owls of Olivewood”
If you were going about your normal day, how many owls would you need to see before you thought something was wrong? Actually, scratch that. Too soon for that. So, have you ever remembered a show or something from childhood, and you start hunting around the web for it, maybe even start asking people about… Continue reading Episode 10: “The Owls of Olivewood”
HONEYMOON
They pulled up in their rented red convertible to 76 Achlys Cove. Morgan let out a gasp. “Oh. My. God.” Can you believe this?” “I can’t wait to see the view!” Miles said. She raced up to the door and put the number to the house, while he unloaded. He looked up at the old… Continue reading HONEYMOON
The Long Ones
Cason had never been to the wall before. It was busier than he expected: hundreds of sweaty and starving men crammed together in front of a screen and speaker all jostling to get to the front as if that made it more likely that their number would get called. The air was noisy with the… Continue reading The Long Ones
If It’s Black, Fight Back
It’s easy to love horror movies when you haven’t experienced one yourself. That’s it. That’s my opinion. These days, I find nothing more relaxing than dumb reality shows where the only danger facing contestants is being sent to an “exile island”. As a teenager who had to grapple with the struggles of a dead mother,… Continue reading If It’s Black, Fight Back
My Brother\’s Keeper
There were pieces of the walls scattered across the floor like confetti. The room smelled like bile and two scared animals. He had been watching August as he lay unconscious on the floor. August was far from well. He wouldn’t stop rolling his head across the concrete in the same nauseating motion, over and over… Continue reading My Brother\’s Keeper