The Journal

Books smell great. Well, most of them. Some have an acidic tang that burns the nostrils. Most books, however, appeal to the nose. Paperbacks tend to be dry and dusty, while textbooks smell of printing press and computer lab. Every bound volume has its own aroma, a blend of its origins and all points thereafter. [...]

Night Blizzard

My toes are frozen. Sneakers don’t hold snow out, jeans invite it in. Wind shoots down my neck where there used to be a hood. If I get out of this, I won’t remove another hood ever again. I don’t care if it does look lame.
I don’t know how I’ll get back into the car. [...]

Who’s Sad?

*NOTE: There is some mild language.*

“Let’s play a game,” she says.
I give her that look. The look like she’s either a sick bitch or a moron.
“Not that kind of game, you perv.” She yawns and itches her arm. “I was thinking of a game my gramps used to play with us kids.”
“Sounds genius.”
She does that [...]

Chocolate in January

Steaming foam cups wait in two neat rows. Bowls of marshmallows sit next to a thick pile of napkins at the end of the makeshift table of a whiteboard propped across a couple of sawhorses.
“Remind me,” Mary says, “whose bright idea this was.”
I laugh and jab my thumb in our husbands’ direction. The guys are [...]

The Yelling

The Yelling

The Yelling. Oh, the Yelling. It’s everywhere. I can’t get out from under It, go around It, fly through It. It follows me to all corners of my life.
It’s a thing, not just something does to someone else. Most people can’t see It. I can. It’s huge and bulky, dressed in a trench coat [...]

Kell-Bell’s Regrets

Kelly wished for more. More time, more life, more. There was too much done that had to be undone, but she was out of time.
She reached for the list. Her former volleyball team was halfway down. With a frail hand, she used a pencil to etch them away. One less care. Dozens to go. Back [...]

The Fourth Hurdle

Recycled tired under toes, knees, hands. Metal blocks looking down a highway of obstacles. Eyes forward, straining for the end of the road.
A voice causes slight movement. Runners poised to start. Muscles tensed, ready. Over the first hurdle before the loud pop echoes away.
There are no flashes, cheers, or shouts. It is only rubber, metal, [...]

Sketchbook

This story is very, very rough, and the ending is weak. Still, there’s something I like about it. I plan to revisit it in the near future. Don’t be surprised to see it used as a Story Page. What’s a “Story Page”? As of today, they don’t exist, but they will. I’m going to take [...]

Just Desserts

Newsprint runs off the pages, across my fingers, palms, legs, everywhere.
Today’s headlines won’t hold still for me to capture them. I want to know if anyone died in that highway pileup. The verdict to that mafia case is supposed to be in the paper now. I haven’t even got to the comics yet.
I’m going to [...]

The Butterflies

I’ve loved butterflies since I was a little boy. Intricate wing patterns are hypnotic. Some soothe, others agitate. All fascinate.
I discovered a talent a few years ago. They can’t resist my whistle. It’s a special tune, and nobody else knows it. I won’t ever share the melody. You see, when I call, the butterflies do [...]