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
Robbie and Dane watched the kids playing soccer with a careful eye. It was fine balance between being a fan and a creep, and they wanted to stay on the good side of the equation so they could track all the games each weekend. Dane and Robbie ran a food truck and paid top dollar … Read moreDoing Well by Doing Good
Denson couldn’t put on weight. He was tall and wiry but his pie plate-sized belt buckle weighed nearly as much as he did. “My brother told me I got worms Doc,” he complained. “Maybe from the elk jerky I made last fall. It sorta tasted funny.” “How long have you been skinny?” the doctor asked. … Read moreThe Alternate Path
King Edward improved the lives of his people by keeping the villages safe from marauding thieves, maintained peace with nearby nations, and promoted farming advances that not only increased the land’s yield but planned for storage of food and firewood throughout the winter. The people loved King Edward and the King loved his people. He … Read moreWhen Justice Prevails
Kevin liked to dress sharp. He spent his limited funds on fine, handsomely tailored suits, silk ties, pocket swatches, and only the finest shoes, belts and undergarments. Still in high school he found most of his clothes at thrift stores, able to scour the racks for quality and occasional hand-made finery. He developed a skill … Read moreCivilized Living