• When the Rains Came Part 4

    A phone was ringing from far away. A shrill persistent cry. Why wasn’t anyone answering? People were trying to sleep here. Annie rolled over, surfacing out of the depths of sleep. And then she realized the ringing wasn’t as far away as she’d thought as her cell phone vibrated off the nightstand. “Ugh,” eyes only…

  • The Children pt. 3

    Adam observed everyone’s reactions to Jen’s words. Mrs. Johnson looked relieved but the others were glancing at each other uneasily. Jen came back over to her seat and sat on the edge with her hands grasping her knees. “Okay, Jen, how about you red us your statement.” Adam picked up her sheet off the floor…

  • The Children pt. 2

    “The woman’s howl of anguish. I’ll never forget it. It cut through me like a knife.”

  • The Children pt. 1

    “The wheels on the bus go round and round –“ children’s voices were shouting and laughing through the words as the bus made its way downtown. Mrs. Johnson conducted the song to her first graders from the front of the bus. The three parent chaperones were trying to keep the kids in line, smiling and…