Horror and Wholesome
My son loved books. If the only thing the kid ever got as a gift was books, he’d have been the happiest person on earth. No idea where he got it from; his dad and I could barely bother skimming short news articles, much less intentionally sit down to slog through a book. Cole, though.... Continue Reading →
Out off the old county road, there’s a path that runs through the woods. It cuts across to what passes for a downtown around here. The trail itself isn’t much to write home about, just some wooden planks laid down to mark its edges and the occasional sign nailed to trees warning people not to... Continue Reading →
I wouldn’t say I was a lonely guy. I had people in my life, I got out of my house, I stayed relatively fit and healthy. I just didn’t have much luck in love. I know a lot of people want someone to blame in that kind of situation. The women who reject them. The... Continue Reading →
I think about death a lot. Not my own, not really, anyway, but my family’s. My parents, cousins, pets. I see them die over and over again, each time more gruesome and detailed than the last. And I’m just so tired. I was seven when Grandma died. It was my first brush with death, and... Continue Reading →
They gathered ‘round the ouija board, fingers poised, nervous laughter rippling through their small group. Anya, the de facto leader, silenced them with a sharp look. “This is serious,” she whispered, her tone harsh as the candlelight against the dark. The other three nodded, more solemn now, although Kita couldn’t wipe the smile entirely off... Continue Reading →
Nursing and being a nun aren’t really such different things. As the former, I help look after the body. As the latter, I help look after the soul. Nourishing both is important to leading a healthy, happy life. When I was a young woman, fresh out of my nursing program and fresher still out of... Continue Reading →
My family came over from the old country only a generation ago. Gran waddled off the boat in 1954, nine months along and ready to drop Dad the moment she set foot on American soil. She had the courtesy to wait until Granddad got her to their apartment in the Irish quarter, at least. Despite... Continue Reading →
He’d been watching for months. Waiting. Patient. Poised. And now, he was ready. Friday night. Seven o’clock. Her parents would be going out for their weekly dinner and movie. They’d be gone for almost four hours exactly. Never more, never less. They were the type of couple that the phrase “You could set your watch... Continue Reading →
I’d never been so certain of anything as I was in that moment. The first bell hadn’t rung yet and I was standing at my locker with Jade. I was still new to the school, an unfortunate position to be in for your senior year, and she was the only friend I’d managed to make.... Continue Reading →
