Alice first met Darren on a Friday night. It was mid-October, the weather having only just tipped from late Summer into early Autumn, and the breeze from the north had brought with it a biting cold that left the skin of Alice’s nose raw and flaking. She was running late for dinner with her best … Read more
Alice flattened her hands against her hips and took a deep breath. She smoothed the wrinkles out of her apron, pulled her notepad and pen out of her pocket, and pushed the door open. The staff area had been quiet but as soon as she was on the restaurant floor she could hear everyone’s conversations … Read more
After precisely 33 minutes of the most trying first date she had ever endured, Jennifer stood up. “Excuse me. I have to visit the restroom.” Bob, like the gentleman he considered himself to be, also rose from his bar stool. “Sure,” he said. “Everyone has to pee.” He giggled at his own funniness. “Just kidding. … Read more
Part 1: An Unraveling Proposal The silence was somehow sending a shockwave. The glistening of the ring was radiating through both of them, their eyes both locked on it. “So, what do you say? Will you marry me?” he asked. She continued to stare. Idiotically dumbfounded. A decade together—a decade undeniably full of love, adventure, … Read more
Elian woke before the chime. That wasn’t unusual. He always rose early. But this time, he knew something was wrong the moment he opened his eyes. The ticking had changed. Not louder. Not off-beat. Just… perfect. Too perfect. The little brass regulator on the mantle ticked with a precision that made his teeth itch, like … Read more