Hawthorn End had always been a respectable sort of strange. The hedges trimmed themselves into polite shapes, the bins rolled home without complaint, and the fog occasionally stopped to check its reflection in the shop windows. We were used to oddness, the manageable kind you can discuss at the parish meeting without losing your parking … Read more
The sun was setting on the horizon. Yellow mixed with blue, combined with the pink and purple clouds made it look like an artist’s canvas. It seemed like the perfect evening. Our sailboat cut through the water, moving towards Eastbrook with ease. Aiden, my shipmate, had just pulled the last sail into place. He quickly … Read more
This story contains themes or mentions of mental health issues. Louise stood in the grocery store line, mundane thoughts of the work day now behind her floating around in her head like kaleidoscope bursts of subdued color. She studied herself in a hand mirror someone had abandoned in front of a tabloid magazine at the … Read more
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse. The box of kitty litter thudded onto the driveway. There it could stay. I would have kicked the damn thing but that would only break my foot. Amazon drivers carry shit like this all the way to the front door…good thing I’m not … Read more
The tropical sun burned a blood-orange glow before sinking behind the hills, leaving the 18th-century-style mansion a gloomy gray, its many windows dull and opaque. Twilight crept across the lush island as the air-conditioned tour bus wound its way up the hillside toward the architectural masterpiece. The engine’s hum faded as it entered the circular … Read more