True Love, Part 3
VII. Ken woke up to the familiar scent of his own bed. He groaned weakly and tried to sit up. Instantly he heard the zip of a wire and he was sprung…
A Hair’s Breadth, Part 1
I. “Mu….m! Mu…m!” a little voice cries out from the backyard. But apparently mum is busy on the phone, in the living room. It’s her husband calling…
The King of Taps
In McDowell, West Virginia, birthplace to the King of Taps, the company houses built by U.S. Coal and Coke held an inch of breath between them. One…
Parole and the Path to Enlightenment
As Breezy walked through the 16-foot-tall mechanical iron gates, he felt the weight of steel bars, razor wire, and 120-year-old bricks fall from his…
Cracking Up
I’ve suffered from panic attacks most of my life, some self-induced and some not. It was Regina’s 35th birthday party. We drove up with our…
Sub Neon
A languid summer’s rain pours from the sky. The evening advances, the temperature drops, the neon glow of Sixth Avenue adds an illusion of warmth to…
The Ring of Gyges, Part 1
I. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Seymour Stackhouse was disciplining his son Adam under the watchful eyes of his wife, Beth. Adam was lying in the prone…
Television
The girl came to his door with a doll in one hand. She wore thick black glasses. When she arrived on his front step, she was neither crying nor…
True Love, Part 2
II. Ken had been teaching for four years now. He had two high school student lovers undetected. His record as an educator was excellent, senior…
Darien Disaster 2
Crouch left early, chauffeur-driven to Tocumen in the dark. A half hour later, dawn blued up with tropic suddenness along the San Blas coast and a…
