The beeping started out quiet and high-pitched like the squeak of a violin strike, then grew louder and louder until Tommy had to reduce the gain on his radio or risk breaking the speakers in his tiny headphones. After the beeping peaked, the pitch would dropped like a slooping trombone, as the beeps faded into … Read moreThe Radio and the Russians
Stories of loose tigers hiding in the Boise foothills had been circulating for decades. Much like the legend of Forrest Fenn’s mystery gold hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, the story captured the public’s attention and slightly improved the economy of any burned-out mill and mining town in the region. Catering to modern gold-rushers, one-pump … Read moreTigers of the Valley
Morris reached into the medicine cabinet to retrieve the trustworthy salve he’d been using for the past decade. Just a dab of the stuff cleared things up for weeks. The cap was crusted with dried-out unguent, mixed with dust and a few stray hairs from his beard. The tube seemed to have some secret reserve, … Read moreHealing Hands
As Punter arrived for his shift, he saw his floor boss outside muttering to himself and smoking more aggressively than usual. “What’s up boss?” “That idiot upstairs. He doesn’t know molasses from his asshole.” Although haunted by the image his boss had conjured, Punter understood he was lamenting Augustus Zuckerstiefel Junior, the current president of … Read moreSweet Affliction
Bobby’s clothes smelled like greasy food. He went out for a burger yesterday and the sour smoke from the grill still lingered. The burger wasn’t great, but good enough. And the beers helped. Bobby wasn’t used to eating alone so squeezed into a corner seat out of the other patrons’ view. His buddy Tim had … Read moreNever Alone for Long
Leonard woke to find himself encased head to toe in a plaster cast. He’d seen body wraps like it on TV, usually involving a guy with an itchy nose, but didn’t think they actually used them anymore. He didn’t remember any accident or injury but did recall a plan to an after-hours club with his … Read moreCasting About
Joel hadn’t had a good idea in some time. His blood-seeking wasps were rejected by the military. His cabbage-fueled car got excellent mileage but the odor of farts inside the car was overwhelming. His proposal for a three-legged horse, which he pointed out, would offer improved stability, never got past the planning stage. He was … Read moreRePeeled
Space Corps never forgave him for suffering a mutiny.
Louise dragged an old roller luggage bag diagonally across a vacant lot scattered with chunks of crushed asphalt, the bag jerking and twisting as she went. She was unfazed by the jagged terrain poking into her thinly protected feet. Louise was mostly torso. She had no neck and pencil-thin limbs which gave her the appearance … Read morePlaying Possum
Jerry’s trailer sat alone in the high desert, tethered on a half-acre plot ringed by a pig-wire fence. Native plants pushed against the fence like an inland sea. Bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, and sagebrush had grown like coral against a ceaseless tide of wind and sun, slowly rising up as a collective able to withstand the blasts … Read moreJerry’s Trailer