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
Moonsmear whizzed the shuttle through his loom at breakneck speed, clacking the heddles until they nearly hummed. “Easy brother, you’ll stretch the thread, and then where will you be?” “I have a date tonight, and I need to wash my neck before.” “Who’s the lucky lady?” “Moonblossom.” “Ah yes, a very lovely girl. And hardworking. … Read morePhases of the Moon
“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
The porridge in the kettle bubbled like a weak fart and smelled nearly as bad. Everard poked at it with a stick, hungry but not hungry enough to scoop out a portion of the glop that endlessly cooked over the hearth. All day every day bits of food and water were added to the bottomless … Read moreStone Soup
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
Snobs with jobs, cluttering up the sidewalk with their little lives, chasing state-sponsored dreams that dead-end nowhere. Went to college for what? To stare at a computer and collect a paycheck? Trained monkeys could do it better and they work for peanuts. Hah. Peanuts. Pretty funny. Or use that degree to wait tables or sell … Read moreFamily Values
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
Pat was fingering his iPhone as he walked back to work from lunch, involved in a Twitter feud about the films of Wes Anderson. His face was squinted into a fuming pinch. He didn’t notice Charlie on the way in through the glass roundabout. Pat impatiently bumped against the glass, trying to hurry through. “Hey … Read moreRelaxation Sphere
Tony hated afternoons. All the promise of the morning had been spent and all the good TV was hours away. Something about watching TV while the sun was shining made him feel depressed. As if he should be out there, where the achievers were, finishing up whatever it is they had been doing all day–skiing, … Read moreChaos Theory