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
Janice and Jenny had pistols strapped to their chests, each with silencers. Formerly employed by drug cartels in Central America, they traveled the world murdering gangsters, politicians, and bankers “You know, in England, they call those crisps,” Jenny said. Janice and Jenny rode side by side on the ski lift. Janice was finishing a bag … Read moreThe Sweeter They Fall
George and Merrick made their way down a narrow, poorly lit staircase. “This looks promising,” Merrick said. “Nothing like a dank basement for quality finds,” George replied. Worming their way through an estate sale at a hundred-year-old house, George and Merrick hoped to find some treasures. The owners who built it lived there until it … Read moreFalling Far From the Tree
Tammy had been casing the park bench for days. She’d linger in the woods or behind some bushes, careful to remain concealed. Her mission was to receive a thumb drive from a Russian agent who worked for a group of businessmen. The drive contained insider information about Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook that could be … Read moreDreams Come True
John was driving faster than he should, trying to make time. “Easy on the corners dumbass,” Susan complained. “Quit your bitching. We’re late because of you and that stupid foster kid.” “He’s not stupid,” Susan corrected, “he’s got brain damage—that’s why they pay us extra for him. You got a better idea of how to … Read moreCherry Coke
Trent was fumbling with his keys as he tried to unlock the door to his apartment. The paint around the keyhole was scratched away from years of similar struggles. “Focus,” he said to himself. He closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath but became dizzy and fell against the wall in the narrow … Read moreBones and Bears
“Just put your fingers in it,” Simon said. “No. I’m not doing that,” Tucker replied. “That’s how it works. You have to,” Simon explained. “I’ll just hold it with two hands and give it a toss, like a big rock.” “They won’t let you play like a five-year old. You have to put your fingers … Read moreBrotherly Love
Like most social media trends kangarooing seemed to come from nowhere. Suddenly videos of people doing it were unavoidable. Facebook was clogged with photos of children and adults participating in the trend. Ubiquitous news coverage warned of kangarooing dangers with examples of how it had gone wrong. “A forty-five year old man in Tulsa while … Read moreThe Opposite of Enlightenment
David applied a dab of varnish to the nose of a mule deer and stepped back to ponder it. When dried, the sheen would give a moist, life-like appearance to the head mount. He did the same to the eyes. The varnish was a custom-mix, that caught the light just as the natural juices of … Read moreThe Way of the Snake
Clarence was nearing one of the bright green plastic buoys that marked his lobster pots. The rights to lobstering in the bay had been in his family since before his grandfather’s day. Now retired, Clarence rowed out to the pots every other day or so, depending on the weather. He had lost his tolerance for … Read moreThe Puzzling Lobsterman