grab and go
Cliff checked his phone, saw nothing of interest, then tossed it to the seat. He wiped his forehead and got on his way, only vaguely aware of the warbled Christmas carols blasting from the single horn fastened to the top of the van. The music—holiday tunes because his boss got a deal on the music box—took some... Continue Reading →
I’m bad about returning stuff. Sure, the borrowing? Not a problem. But once it enters my apartment, well, it's good as gone. Such was the case with Humble Rhodes, a 789 page thumper of a biography about the first ever transsexual, double amputee, head transplant recipient to receive the Rhodes Scholarship. Don’t ask, if it’s on the New... Continue Reading →
I never would have called, but I was desperate. And I never would have come out and said those things to Pike’s girl on the phone, but her voice in my hand, so close to my head. I pictured her full lips brushing against my ear. I remembered how she smiled at me that time I'd... Continue Reading →
Anniversary with the missus in Rome. The sights, the sounds, the food. The escape from all the crazies taking over our small town in Georgia. We boarded and took our seats. I'd just lit a smoke to calm my nerves when these kids hopped on--most of them colored, ducking their heads as they came aboard, louder... Continue Reading →
I wake up alone on Maintenance Day. Blinking like crazy at that thin blue slash in the corner of my eye. It’s spooky quiet out and the prompt just sits there—so I just sit there, lost in the haunt of my living space. It's kind of driving me crazy. I sit up and wipe my... Continue Reading →
I usually turned on the television and zoned out whenever I visited Mom. I used to be terrified of silence, and her house was full of it save for the mundane ticks and clicks of appliances that only seemed to punctuate our lack of conversation. She was only 56, but she was neither young, or old. She was just... Continue Reading →
Lucky for me the guy was a bad shot. Hit my shoulder instead of my face. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t scared, shocked shitless really, when I leaned towards the car only to see him digging into the seat only to come back with a shiny black Glock. Maybe not a Glock, but... Continue Reading →
Dinner was something of a casserole dish, loaded down with brittle peas lurking under noodles and smeared with a gritty cream that stuck to the roof of my mouth. Mom's head and hands were elsewhere when she'd made it, so I picked and prodded carefully, while things went from uncomfortable to unbearable between Dad and Samir. They sparred with... Continue Reading →
Every writer writes for someone. A devoted wife or husband. Maybe that cute chick from a writer's group. An online critique partner. Could just be a severed little head looming over your shoulder, groaning at each cliché or applauding a burst of wit. But I think we need someone or something to test drive that first vehicle. To... Continue Reading →
Nick sat at the edge of the couch, ignoring the sports talk on television. He set his beer on the sticky wooden coffee table, ran a hand through his hair, as though to catch his fluttering thoughts. A casual breeze swept in the cigarette smoke from the open window. Nick was thankful he’d quit when Dakota was born nearly... Continue Reading →
Lunch Break Fiction 