The swimming felt hard, much harder than it had felt just a few minutes ago chasing the fish.… Read the rest
Category Archives: Fiction
“What?” Jay moved his feet around in the sand. They were wading in thigh-high water on a sandbar a good distance from shore. The setting sun reflected orange, promising a vivid sunset.
“She’s been watching us since we got out here.” Lee tugged on Jay’s arm.
“Let her look.” Jay nudged a sandy lump, but it was too curved, and he sent his toes exploring in another direction.
“I just want to enjoy this vacation.” Lee pulled harder. “I’m really not in the mood for a confrontation.”
“So ease up. Enjoy the vacation.” Jay removed Lee’s hand from his arm and instead intertwined their fingers.… Read the rest
Listen to the clarinet standing alone. Listen to the battle story. The nervous thrumming strings are the racing hearts of memory. Now the brass! The first clashes build to tempestuous thunder and then collapse. But the winds rally! The theme! It is time for the theme! But as strongly as it begins, it fades away, and the orchestra waits, poised.… Read the rest
“You’ve said that about every one of them.” Her colleague and fellow judge Janet Green tapped a pencil on the table, and the third judge, Mitch Engel shook his head.
The auditions proceeded, and Mary’s nerves clamped around her wrist so she could barely fill out the forms. Janet said, “It’s your first year. It gets better after you’ve done it awhile.” Still, when it was over, Janet, and Mitch made most of the selections with minimal input from Mary.… Read the rest
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Dear Trifecta, thank you for letting me abuse your meme to advertise my novel again. Dear readers, that’s my novel’s last line, but if you think it’s a spoiler, you’re dead wrong. Take a chance on an e-book, and I think I might just convert you to electronic tomes.
… Read the rest“You know, it’s been five years. That’s a long run for a plant in this house.” The cactus went on lowering from the floor. “I can’t rightly talk to you down there. You’ll have to come up to the table, at least.”
She got a potholder and moved the old man.… Read the rest
Rain peppered Crystal Rhodes. It splatted on her helmet’s visor and stung through her cotton shirt. She should have listened to her mother. But her jacket was hanging on its hook fifty miles behind her. She shook her head and more water flooded off her helmet and down her back. The rain increased to a downpour, so it was all she could hear. Even her bike’s engine was a distant roar. Water soaked through her shirt so each drop to strike her skin felt like a miniature explosion. She dodged a puddle, then eased off on the throttle. No good hydroplaning.… Read the rest
Trifecta wants us to talk about one object with three uses this weekend. Come play with us. Or cross my palm with silver. Whichever.
… Read the rest“Put down that phone.” Casey stood between the bedroom and hall. She was naked. “I am not having this baby in a …” she groaned. “Count me!” she ordered.
Darron scrambled for his watch and its handy stopwatch feature. Casey leaned into the doorframe, and he drew careful circles on her back while he counted the seconds to the contraction’s peak.… Read the rest
“When?” Charles, the bartender made a great show of drawing up a beer.
“It’ll break Wednesday.”
“Right.”
Charles moved away without ever meeting his patron’s eyes. This was important. It was his role as the front to take the magic knowledge to the bookies. All the bookies knew Charlie had a source. But nobody suspected drunk old Nate in the corner. Which was just exactly how both Charles and Nate wanted things to remain. Nate drank at this bar every night, and he made sure to leave sloppy drunk at least twice a week , or at least to look like it.… Read the rest