• Five Seconds of Shame

       We swarmed to the abandoned house that night, climbing in and out of the cars. It was too cold to stand outside, even with the fire going. It was our little hangout, tucked far off the road and surrounded by trees. The couches and fire pit were trash, but we used them like new.…

  • Ghosts

    I crept down the staircase as the voices faded into the kitchen. A deep unfamiliar voice mingled with hers. She’d brought another man over. I listened hard, trying to determine if it was the same one from a few nights ago. Probably not. I knew well enough that she wanted the company, not the commitment.…

  • Smart Pets

    Trying to make her smile again. The way he used to.

  • 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…

  • Interns

    Being an intern is harder work than the work you’ll do when you get paid. But if you really love this, you’ll put up with all of it.

  • The Mascot

    “Why would I ever go out with a pizza-faced nerd like you!”

  • A First Meeting

    — giggling! —

  • The Man she Loved

    She loved a man with a violent love