Yuri led an ordered life. He woke up at 7 am, and his breakfast always included half a grapefruit eaten with a serrated spoon. It took him 12½ minutes to bike to his job as a network security consultant and 13½ minutes to bike back (he lived uphill). The hour before bedtime was spent readingContinue reading ““Bartleby’s Preference” at Crack the Spine”
Category Archives: Mostly Fiction
By the Slice
A man eating a slice of pepperoni pizza looked closely at one of the disks of pepperoni and was surprised to see that what had at first looked like a fleck of oregano was actually a very tiny man, also eating a slice of pepperoni pizza.
“Salsa” at Story Shack
The bell above the door rings as Fran enters the small store wearing a purse over her shoulder. She approaches the counter, and Steve, who has been leaning on the counter with his chin cupped in his hand, straightens up, looking mildly surprised. “Good morning,” says Fran. “Mornin’.” “I’d like to buy something, please.” Read the rest atContinue reading ““Salsa” at Story Shack”
“Orientation” at Bartleby Snopes
“Excuse me, sir.” “Yes?” “This is going to sound strange, but what year is this?” “Not at all, it’s 2917. October 6th.” Read the rest at Bartleby Snopes
“The Meditations of Fra Colleoni” at Gravel
“But does it work?” Dr. Seaver leaned back in his chair and blew on his mug of instant soup. The steam fogged his glasses. “Of course not. It’s just a thought experiment.” “Oh,” I said, picking up a doohickey on the professor’s desk. “Of course.” The doohickey, or maybe gizmo is a better word, hadContinue reading ““The Meditations of Fra Colleoni” at Gravel”
“Proof” at Revolution John
“A boy adjusts the position of a box of tissues on his desk and sits cross-legged on his bed. It is a Sunday afternoon and he has nothing else to do. The door to his room is closed, and nobody will bother him before dinnertime. He has all afternoon to make the box of tissuesContinue reading ““Proof” at Revolution John”
Thunder in the Distance
The rumbling started yesterday afternoon, just a little while after I arrived. Within the space of a few minutes the house got dark, but Grandma didn’t seem to notice anything until she saw the clouds in my eyes.
The Path
Over the chicken wire, under the fence post, across the field towards the huddle of trees in the distance. My heart flutters as I follow, because I’m following her. There is a still hum to the field as bugs hang in the air. The grass is as high as my waist, and when I see herContinue reading “The Path”
Wednesday Afternoon at the Burger Cafe
A tiny cafe decorated in primary colors and a few items of well-placed kitch. On the left is a window and a glass door leading to the street. On the right is a counter and glass case displaying drinks. On the back wall is a sign saying “Have a Nice Life.”
Spinners
“I have good news and bad news, dear,” grandma says with a sly smile. “Bad news first: we’ve run out of jam for your muffin.” I must look comically bereft. I’ve been visiting for a week and every morning I’ve had a pile of blueberry jam on an English muffin for breakfast. Grandma has offeredContinue reading “Spinners”
David Hammond 