The lights would come and go at no particular interval. It was as though every morning someone deliberately spun the dial on a timer so that it was never actually set properly. Sometimes there wasn’t a real light in her dark corner, but only a glow from a nearby place. Sometimes there was no glow at all. Those were the days she decided that instead of a game of “Spin the Light,” it was “Kill the Lights.” No matter what the circumstances or environment Ali never lost her mind, she just waited patiently until she was freed to go home. That was her ultimate want, to return home.
The Wrong RSVP
Amanda hadn’t been seeing Tom for very long. In fact, they hadn’t really even been seeing each other in the conventional sense. But they had been doing what worked for them. Casual dates, a slower pace, adventures around every corner. There was none of this standard date night bullshit. No social media shout outs, tagged posts, or nauseating “look how much we like each other” pictures plastered together over a pink and red background with a name-blended hashtag to match. But they had been seeing each other, and it felt good. Tom gave Amanda something others hadn’t, he gave her encouragement to follow her dreams, kind words that showed how much he believed in her to do more with her life, amazing sex that she didn’t “get through” to have gotten some.
Birthday Cigarettes
He was aware he stood out. It wasn’t just his long hair and partially shaved head, or the way he stood motionless, it wasn’t his tattoos and his all black wardrobe. Not that any of these things weren’t true, nor did they help him blend in any, but he had known from a very young…
Going In Circles
Friday, 11/22/19 Frankie was always late. Knowing this, Lucy still pulled into the park at 5:30 pm. A half an hour of walking would be good for her. Unlike Frankie who spent every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at the gym, Lucy spent Friday and Saturday nights going out to dinner, out to the movies, or…
In Her Own Backyard
Written for a Tulip Tree Pub Contest; Submitted 10/30/19 The office had enough of her. From her dark brown roots breaking through the bottled blonde to her manicured toes displayed in open toe wedges. The tipping point started when her matching manicured and manufactured finger nails would crumple up assorted singles and five dollar bills,…
Vengeance for Dinner
Makeda was a good dog. She looked like a baby fox, and loved me more than anyone else. Every morning before school I walked her down the street toward the park. The houses getting more and more decrepit as we walked. We’d walk along side the park, avoiding the various wrappers and throw away items….
Sunflower’s Letter
At first Sunflower had thought that the letter with no return address had been from her local insurance agency. Usually that’s what their envelopes looked like, plain with no return addresses and possibly handwritten. She picked the envelope up from the pile and looked at it closer, it was definitely handwritten, and there was no…
Beauty is Pain
Marissa could barely breathe. She felt something clawing through her throat. Her breaths were ragged and gasped. Pressure was building in her head from around her neck. She tossed back and forth, tangling herself in her purple sheets. Marissa felt her throat constrict and herself gag. Fumbling with her sheets, Marissa freed herself and shot…
Love Makes the Heart Break
FUCK THIS! Literally, fuck this piece of paper. Fuck this pen. Fuck this assignment. I’m dried up, out of ideas. Fuck my job and my boss. There’s no way I can write articles about people’s exciting sex lives when I’m not having exciting sex. Hell—I’m not having any sex. I go home, make dinner, set…
Lucky
He knew he shouldn’t be doing this… the woman he loved was lying in a coma. He told her he’d wait for her should this ever happen. After a head injury several months in to their relationship, he swore he wait it out. Now… now, I’m getting hit on by some blonde bombshell old enough…