The glowing cursor blinked at her, a silent witness to the irreversible act she was about to commit. Nadia Simmons told herself it was an exorcism. That’s what she told herself the night she pressed Publish. A purging. She was sitting on the floor of her bedroom—if you could call it that. A mattress on … Read more
Everything had to be just right for the perfect daughter’s visit. Desiree had been cleaning for a week straight. The floors gleamed, the windows sparkled, and Terry had already prepped his beloved mancave for the grand tour. Just one more thing on her list—Desiree headed to the shed. She closed the door behind her, … Read more
After two years in the Army, one of which spent in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam, thirty-year-old Isaiah Mason’s struggled to readjust to his rural hometown of Copper Creek, Texas. It was as if his return flight had landed on a different planet. Nothing looked or felt familiar. During the first forty days, Isaiah detested … Read more
This story contains sensitive content Warning: Language “ Because I can’t do it anymore, Henry! The robbing, the running from the police, the gunshots- I can’t deal with that shit anymore!” “ Why? Because of the very small chance that you might make it into a good college? Do you even know if … Read more
Stumbling with embarrassing frequency, I followed behind my mother, eyes down, following her polished Sunday shoes. She decided our path, her shoes helping me discern the tripping hazards ahead. It was 1966, and my six-year-old stick arms and legs lacked the coordination that seemed natural to other people. Dressed in a short-sleeved fitted light yellow … Read more