“Not yooouuu!” My daughter Kathryn sat on the toilet, her face red with frustration. She had been yelling “Mama” at the top of her lungs, but Mama hadn’t come. Papa had come instead, and this wasn’t acceptable to her 3-year-old mind. She tottered on the edge of the toilet, her pink cotton dress pulled up,Continue reading “Oweanka”
Tag Archives: Short Story
The Interpreter
They were back in the generously air-conditioned boardroom. It was a warm, sunny day outside, but all of the curtains were shut tight. She thought about the layer of air between the curtains and the windows. When there was a break she would go to the crack in the curtains, open it up and baskContinue reading “The Interpreter”
Cyrano of Burlington MA
Scene 1 A dingy motel room. Through the window, a sign reads in yellow and blue “The Full Moon Motel.” Below that, the red neon word “vacancy.” It blinks on and off every five seconds. Cyrano sits at a desk by the window. His coat hangs on a hook by the door opposite. He writesContinue reading “Cyrano of Burlington MA”
The Summit
We stopped on a face of sheer rock overlooking the valley. The late fall foliage scorched the base of Mount Monadnock, and a mist filled the gaps. A storm was coming, and the wind was beginning to show its teeth. It would be bitter cold at the top. We sat down to eat our lunchContinue reading “The Summit”
Talking
ANNA: Just keep talking. DAVE: I can’t think of anything else to say. ANNA: Talk about anything. Talk about the house you grew up in. DAVE: Okay … well … we had high ceilings and a black metal fireplace. ANNA: Uh huh. DAVE: My dad put it in himself. It didn’t have a mantle, soContinue reading “Talking”
All the Lights Off
Their bare feet thudded on the wooden floor. He struck a match and lit the candles on either side of the stereo cabinet. He blew out the match and held it’s carcass in front of him, waiting for the red coals to turn to black before dropping it in the waste basket. “Why did youContinue reading “All the Lights Off”
Goodnight Pond
The tadpoles were in bed and Mike sat on his favorite lily pad looking up at the moon. “Croak.” He enjoyed that time of day. George glided over. He liked to skirt the edge of the pond looking for snails. A tuft of weeds jerked up and down in his beak as he chewed. GeorgeContinue reading “Goodnight Pond”
Cheaters
“Let me tell you a story.” The girl stared at the ceiling, and as her father sat on the edge of the bed she scooted back to keep her distance. She sighed meaningfully while her father began talking. “When I was in high school they had a big Trivial Pursuit contest out on the quad.”Continue reading “Cheaters”
Broken
You can’t fix a person like you can a car. Take this fuel pump. I just went down to the auto supply store and bought it. For a car, the fuel pump is like its heart, right? And you can’t just take someone’s heart out and put in a new one. Well, yeah, nowadays youContinue reading “Broken”
X-Ray Vision
David was nearsighted. At the age of twelve he received his first pair of glasses. He carried them in a case in his backpack, and when the teacher wrote something on the chalkboard, he retrieved them discreetly and placed them on the bridge of his nose. If possible, while taking notes, he kept his leftContinue reading “X-Ray Vision”
David Hammond 