"Reverend and Mrs. Decan, the doctor will see you now.", the receptionist announced. "Thank you, Melissa. Tell your mother that green bean casserole was delicious." "I will, Reverend." The receptionist replied, glancing up while shuffling through the mess of paperwork that blanketed her small desk. "Will you be...
Eight months ago, my life changed forever. I couldn’t tell you what the weather was like that day, what I had for breakfast, or even the first song I heard on the radio before I left the house. In fact, I can’t honestly remember any...
For the first time in his short life, Tommy had seen – no – Tommy had been given a magical gift -a miracle. The items themselves weren’t that special – two quarters and a piece of bubble gum - it was the fact of them,...
Excluding some tropical species, such as coconut and banana trees, no tree can survive long without branches. And yet, defying all explanation, I saw a pair of branchless oak trees in the summer of 2015. When I use the word “branchless”, I’m not referring to a...
For context, I am a middle-aged man who lives on the outskirts of Parbold, a small English village. My house is the only one on a long, winding country road, but it does have a bus stop. From my bedroom window, I can see it...
The man entered his front door to the melody of groaning hinges and his weary footsteps. He shut the door and set his keys on the kitchen table, the weight of his nine-to-five responsibilities melting away as he did. The front door of his home...
“I’m late. I’m late for a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m …..” – The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland “…laaate!” thought Bryan as he sped from his third-floor apartment. He pressed the down button at least...
My friends Kev and Nat were about to celebrate their fourteenth anniversary and wanted it to be something special, so after a few months of indecision, I made the suggestion they renew their vows. “We’ve done that before though!” Kev told me. “Hmm, but have you...
I’m glad you are here. Beside this fire. Isn’t this nice? How often do we, as humans, have a chance to take a moment? Just a moment to pause and look around. Especially beside the fire. As a child, I loved sitting by a campfire. ...
As a kid, I read a ton of sci-fi. Pulp stuff, real trash, most of it, but it inspired me. It told me that there were things out there to be discovered, that there were new worlds to open up. No matter how far we’d...
Today’s my birthday. That’s not generally something I bring up. I don’t celebrate it. Almost no one knows when it is, and I like it that way. I don’t like being put on the spot. I don’t like the falseness of people wishing me a happy...
I was supposed to be at my friend’s wedding this weekend. And the thing is, maybe I was there? Only I’m pretty sure it was canceled. I went to the bride’s funeral. But—let me back up. I knew both Aldin and Petra from college. They met...
I thought it was just like any other construction zone. It looked the same: same cones, same signs, same trucks. And honestly, if people would learn how to drive, I probably never would have noticed any differently. But people get stupid in the face of...
Obadiah had forty different words for fog. From his fishing shack on the waterfront, he watched various fogs come and go, ebbing and flowing around the town. He needed every one of the words to describe the varied types that ran their blurry touch over...
Rosa lived alone. Rosa had always lived alone. Rosa had become late middle-aged; she never had a cat, though by looking at her, one would think that she had many cats. She loved plants and gardening. Rosa was not only an outside gardener; she prided...
My brother Vincent died during Covid. He had choked in his bed, needing a ventilator we couldn’t afford, and I didn’t even know it until it was too late… He died on the top bunk, alone and struggling to breathe while I was out trying to find...
This happened about six years ago, when I was spending some time in the big house for a few misdemeanors. In a way, this pushed me to get on the straight and narrow. I’ve never really given myself permission to talk about it, but my therapist says...
I had just sat down for my ride home on the late charter bus when I felt something odd under my seat. It was like sitting on a lump; it wasn’t too big, but it was definitely uncomfortable. Instinctively I reached under to try and remove...
This isn’t really happening. This feels like some fucking Twilight Zone shit. I think the plane I’m on is going to crash. Maybe it should, though. Maybe it would be better if we all died rather than let whatever the hell is aboard spread elsewhere. Sorry. Let me explain. ...
I am a creature of habit. I routinely do the same thing every day, and if there’s a break in my routine, I’m very sensitive to panic. For example, if I am not having my dinner at 6:30 pm on the dot, I’m overcome with...
