NINE HUNDRED AND TWELVE DAYS
The boy stares at the white page in front of him. On it is a single question, “Why have you come to Earth?” His eyes roll over the words, savouring each letter. There was a time when he and the other kids used to think that writing was hilarious. Talking and singing was another one […]
Timeo Musas
He glided from the bedroom to the kitchen in remarkable style, sitting on his wheel-barstool. He never understood why his inability to use his broken leg should imply an automatic loss of stylistic integrity. He went back to his study, holding a cocktail glass so tenderly, that the ice cubes melted instantly, causing an unexpected […]
Second Steps
I’d rather be an only child, but I have a sister. Turns out, she’d rather be an only child too. Still, the tug of sibling obligation, though weaker than it was, pulls me in her direction and right now, it’s pulling me by train. Fellow travelers look like lawyers, but I can’t be certain and […]
NIGHTFALL AT FIVE
Jake swung the door to Benjamin Moore’s wide open, giving Henry the usual nod. “That fox again?” Henry grinned. Jake nodded again. “Well, one can’t keep nature out of the city.” He laid the exact amount of money for a box of nails out on the counter. “You are spending a fortune on that fence, […]
Bullets Disguised As Dreams
There she comes again. Brighter than light, softer than a dream, when dreams are soft and tender. Reality was once well defined. We were together then, sharing a home. That home was cold for others, but not for us. We didn’t invite people often. Our love was the main heating machine, which kept us warm […]
The Fox Outside Her Door
The bicycle was a solid machine made for carrying groceries and wearing a skirt. It rattled slightly under her weight. By the time she reached the canal, twilight was rapidly becoming night and she flicked on her lights as she turned down the cobbled slope to the water. This was her favourite part of the […]
“Qui Gattino”
Giuseppe was a cat. A stray, to be exact. He was born in an alley near the Mercato Civico di San Benedetto, the Beverly Hills of stray cat neighborhoods. And mio Dio, did he look the part. Eyes as blue as the Mediterranean. A calico coat straight from a Gucci runway. Features so symmetrical, he could […]
Zig Zag Openings
I was calling to see if he wanted to buy a new DSL package, but like everyone else, he already had an adequate one. His name was Douglas. He told me he was a retired quilt designer and asked me out. He didn’t seem to view the way we met as a negative. He didn’t […]