Category Archives: Fiction

We saw the  Earth shudder when the first nuclear blast took place. Though we were only a few hundred miles above Earth, we could tell something ghastly was happening below us. The Earth winced, like a person stabbed with a … Continue reading →

Her penetrating eyes were talons. Once they had him in their grip, he was helpless. Though he was a victim, he was willing prey. He treasured every glance, every sweep of her eyes across his face. She knew the power of … Continue reading →

I drove a car, which my neighbor had borrowed  from a friend, to the gas station. Actually, he had traded vehicles with another friend; he had let his friend use his nondescript sedan in exchange for the use of his … Continue reading →

“What the hell are we going to do with three pounds of goat shoulder?” Geneva’s tone revealed her doubts about the gift from Jacob’s friend, Katrina. Jacob flashed a conciliatory grin at her. “You needn’t worry about it, darling. I’ll … Continue reading →

David and Amanda Spears spent the first ten years of their marriage focused on work. He worked for a granite company as a buyer, a job that involved considerable international travel. She split her time between hautes écoles training in … Continue reading →

Lina waited for Broden to continue. “Oh, he was just so totally in love with life. Why would a man buy a two million dollar car and then kill himself a week later? I mean, it just doesn’t make sense.” … Continue reading →

“If you look long enough and hard enough, you can find things to dislike about almost anyone. But you’d be looking for the wrong things. Instead, you ought to be looking for those shreds of likability hidden among the overgrowth … Continue reading →

Allen Sherman loved his mother. Her maiden name was Achtung. She was of Prussian ancestry, though she was loathe to admit it. She preferred to tell lies, claiming Scottish lineage on her mother’s side, with a direct line to nobility … Continue reading →

“Carvings. Wood carvings. That’s what they are. For a moment, I thought they were paintings. From a distance, it’s hard to see that the pieces are three dimensional. Have you ever done any wood carving? I used to, when I … Continue reading →

Lina Lindström’s career in criminal forensics exposed her to what can arise from bungling, blind rage. At the same time, though, she witnessed outcomes created through careful planning and precise execution. Though both approaches led to murder, she often was … Continue reading →

His birth certificate read “Fracas Edward Schlattery, Jr.”  According to the document, he was born to Lisa Starling Schlattery, age twenty-six, and Micah Delfino Schlattery, age twenty-three. Fracas Corbett didn’t  wonder who his namesake might have been until he reached … Continue reading →

Listen carefully to the voice in your head. Listen to its tenor and timbre as it urges you to consider or reconsider aspects of your life you thought had long since been settled. You may not even hear it if … Continue reading →

Lina awakened me. I felt her two fingers tiptoe up and down my back, one on each side of my spine. She tread gently at first. With restrained but increasing pressure, she ensured that I was aware of her presence. … Continue reading →

Gavin Colquist shrieked, his clothes catching on thorns and branches as he sprinted through the underbrush. By the time he had run the thirty yards to his car, thin red lines paralleled the rips in his polyester button-down shirt. His torn … Continue reading →

Ribbon Scrawl was tall and stupid. He was the kind of stupid you find in shuttered slaughterhouses, the kind of stupid you avoid if you’re smart. And you’re smart. Or you thought you were, until you found yourself locked in … Continue reading →

The aroma of vanilla floods my nostrils. Somewhere among the clutter of stalls, sweet vanilla cakes are offered to those with a sweet tooth and money to spend. Everyone wandering the stalls here has at least a little money to … Continue reading →

I sprint toward the other side of the highway, hoping to reach the shoulder before the car speeding in my direction reaches me. I misjudge its speed. It’s almost here and I’m only inches from the middle of the road. … Continue reading →

Enter the animal. He prowls like a cat. But he’s a monster unknown. He’s a creature prehistoric, an enigma that stalks the night looking for victims to satisfy his appetite for fresh flesh and streaming blood. The sky darkens and leaves in … Continue reading →

A medical bill, associated with my recent colonoscopy, arrived in today’s mail. It was for pathology work. I logged on to my medical records to find details of the pathology report. As I already knew, the pathology exam found nothing … Continue reading →

Her smile conceals savage fury of infinite intensity. Look closely enough and you’ll see bitterness escaping from the upturned corners of her mouth. Beware the simmering anger, hidden beneath her engaging grin, capable of erupting in full-throated rage. In an instant, the acrimony growing … Continue reading →