WIDE LOAD
When my grandfather came back from the war in Korea as a Jeep driver for the Brass, he got a job as one of the four pumpers on a railroad pump car that made its way around the quarry fixing tracks that needed it and bringing tools and food to the other workers. He and […]
Death-Row Dinners
“Our culinary choices often say something about us we cannot articulate.” – Henry Hargreaves I. Iowa State Penitentiary, 1963 Victor Feguer, 28 years old, admires his new suit, brown like his eyes only two shades lighter. The coat cuts at the shoulders. The pants tighten at the waist from eating too many potatoes. Morning. Noon. And night. The […]
Audrey 2.01
Gary opened his eyes, stretched. He could smell coffee and bacon. Quietly, almost imperceptibly, La bohème, his favorite opera, was playing. Gary took it all in, smiled. A quick look at his phone showed him what his senses already knew: all systems working perfectly. *** Six months later and he was still mostly pleased. Apart […]
A Brief Conversation with Murakami’s Cat
The neon lights of Electric Town flickered in the dusk as Hal stepped into the alley to follow Linda. Although it was a relief for Hal to escape Chuo-dori Street with its throngs gathered outside of robot stores and gaming centers, he was disappointed to find himself alone. Linda was already gone. Hal shouted her […]
The Calling
Sarah was sore in body and spirit as she rode Zed into town. Sarah turned the horse into a shortcut, through an alley. The windows of a first-floor photography shop mirrored their dusty progress, and she looked away. The blood on her shirtwaist and cloak was far more extensive than she had supposed. She’d lost […]
A Handful
Tickling and gooey, soft and tasty, my finger dug into the raspberry pie and clogged its tiny nail full of juicy devilishness. Mom was too far away to screech. Chubby and pink, it scratched the plastic plate, trying to learn how to flick. It stuck in the jelly, squirmed and managed to splash it onto […]
EVIE’S SMILE
“You’re a machine, you know,” Evie said as she leaned her hip against my desk. “Surely, you need sustenance like us mere mortals?” Today she smelt like lavender soap with a faint trace of printer ink. Forcing my eyes from the spreadsheet to meet hers, I set my face to benign smiling mode. “Oh, I’m nearly […]
The Other Side of Everywhere
Going back there, the road is narrow and twisty. I’m not sure I want to be going but I don’t stop for anything. No snacks, got enough gas. The birds flying low over the road are enough to keep me on my way. You’d think I had a date. You’d think someone had sent me […]