Trigger warning: Story contains adult themes of violence and drug use. “Wood rot? Man! How did that happen?” the customer asked, eyes wide, voice bouncing off every stone-tiled surface in the kitchen. The facade of his home was polished, but the customer had been fobbed off. I felt shabby in contrast. My hair was prematurely …
Peppermint and I both lived in the same building designed for singles, so it just made sense to walk home together, but the walk was a somber one. Finding out that Father Christmas was ill had really knocked the cinnamon out of my hot cocoa, so to speak. As we crunched through the inch of …
Setting down my mocha coffee to cool, I eased into my desk chair and swiveled to face the TV displaying security feeds. All was peaceful on the mental health ward, no tempests brewing. So I scanned the lengthy sign-off sheet our newest nurse was required to complete before he could come off orientation. Refreshing my …
Once upon a time there was a pink planet. A hydrogen shield formed the exosphere and acted as a pink lens, casting the rest of the world in a shade of rose for those looking outward into space. Hydrogen, since it is a metal, also acted as an antenna to pick up the hum of …
Coon licked himself cleaner, not quite clean, while he eavesdropped at the local gossip mill, Big Barn. Since there was a fresh death in the cat community, it was not necessary to interrogate. Far better to be sneaky and let his fellow felines bring up Sarah’s situation on their own. It was long work for …
Sarah set out at sunrise, ignoring the scurries of the field mice and the chirping of birds all around. She hunted instead for what she was certain would turn out to be a dead body. Why “certain”? There were exactly six reasons why, and this would become the seventh. First, there was Tiger. He was …
Nearly everything had been eaten up by wolves except for two elves, Chrissy Cringle and Nikolai Klaus. Those two lonely souls were on the eve of spending their Christmases alone, unaware of one another on opposite sides of the tiny region now called the North Pole.
Dear Readers, I hope you’ve enjoyed the past few installments of short stories. I’ve certainly enjoyed writing them, and you can expect another around Christmastime! But this quarter, I offer mere musings and a shorter read than usual. This summer I learned to swim, and I’m gradually gaining confidence in the water. The absolute best …
Fictional Short Story Servant Lady read aloud that “creation itself will be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.” She knew I wasn’t paying attention. The sun was up, and I was napping in a warm blanket of rays with my heavy eyes shut. “Share. …
The ring was painfully tight. Bonnie loved the cathedral setting and the round cut of the diamond. It was simply the wrong size. Bonnie tugged and turned it in an attempt to regain circulation. Her fingers were on the bony side, so there wasn’t much to squeeze out of the way to remove the pricey …
