Of Mule Teams and Periwinkles

close up of blue periwinkle flower

1,575 words Marnie itched to rearrange the computer desk to her liking now that her daughter had returned to college. She might never have found the anthology otherwise. “If you get a parking ticket,” Marnie had warned, “you need to pay it on time.” “I had to get to class,” Nicole said. “It takes two... Continue Reading →

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Chinese Red

red street lanterns in China

(1,600 words) Audrey considered the doctor’s question. She squinted, tilting her face to the Halogen lamp until bright colors appeared from behind her eyelids. A swath of scarlet appeared, but not the shade of red from her dreams. Too much orange. “A deep red,” she explained. “Which things were deep red?” Dr. Bergman asked. “It’s... Continue Reading →

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Some Fish!

blue betta fish swimming in a glass jar

(1,050 words) “Some fish!” my tall boss Mike said. He was admiring my new desktop war-and-peace fish bowl—a ginger jar containing a single Siamese fighting fish topped by a peace plant. Mike often said say some this or some that whenever he was impressed. Charlotte’s Web was a childhood favorite, he once confessed. I smiled... Continue Reading →

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Love at the Wawa

convenience store coffee sitting on car dashboard

(2,500 words) Claire barreled into the parking lot of the mini-market, stereo blaring. “You’re the top,” she sang along with Sutton Foster. “You’re a Shakespeare sonnet. Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. You’re Mickey Mouse.” After quitting the engine, she let the soundtrack play a few moments, so she could belt the high notes at... Continue Reading →

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Cutting Too Deep

purple lilac bush blooming

(500 words) A vase gorged with lilacs revealed a frenzy of white in the freshly waxed wood. Cutting the lilacs, polishing the coffee table. When Sarah was a school girl, she did certain rituals for her mother without complaint. She also groomed her pony and filled his oat bucket without reminder. Sometimes her mom asked... Continue Reading →

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