Hello. I am a squirrel. I’ve got a poofy tail, four fingers on my front paws and five on my rear paws. A white stripe flows from my chin to my bum. Otherwise, I’m a tannish gray. I like eating seeds and nuts and chittering. I spend my waking hours in trees or on the … Read more
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse. Other than a faint glow coming from the back, the town’s only charity shop was in darkness, its front door locked. Though it had opened in 1985, the building had been used as a pharmacy, a bank, and even a tavern. … Read more
Johnny Reyes had lived most of his thirty-four years quietly in the background. In college, he was the roommate who proofread essays and fixed laptops while his friends pursued relationships and adventures. At work, he was the quiet software developer who cleaned up messy code bases without taking credit, who trained new hires without the … Read more
This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse. They hadn’t spoken in over two years. Hadn’t dated in almost three. Had exchanged the odd text, lingered on the odd late-night call, but nothing more than that. Heidi had relished in each moment they’d shared, often crying all night afterwards. It was … Read more
6:00 am, my alarm goes off. I groan, not wanting to get up. However, I roll over and smack the alarm to shut it up. I sit up in bed slowly, my heart is heavy. I remove the comforter from my body and stand up. My body aches… I walk over to my closet and … Read more