The Bottomless Pit at Pickingill Elementary

The Bottomless Pit at Pickingill Elementary

The red button on Principal Cayce’s phone was blinking. Of the eight square buttons on the device it was the only colored one and, incidentally, the only one he ever used. He picked up the receiver and clicked it. “Yes, Shelly?” “Sir, I have a Mrs.Laine out here and...
The Widow’s Tarot

The Widow’s Tarot

Candice Jane sat on a wooden stool with a shotgun across her lap facing the front door. There was a rocking chair in the corner that was far more comfortable, but she didn’t trust herself not to fall asleep in it. It had happened before. Most often when she was...
Inhabitant

Inhabitant

Mary Alice Eckerson was a natural born saleswoman. As a child she’d run a lemonade stand. It wasn’t enough for her so she added a line of cupcakes (made by her mother) and baseball cards (stolen from her brother). From Kool-aid to cars to condos, she built a career...
The Price of Scampering

The Price of Scampering

Fred Gibson squinted against the cloudless sunrise. He was sprawled out on the lawn at an odd angle, his left foot bare on the sidewalk. Dirt covered his hands and caked his fingernails. Thistles and burrs had taken up residence in his clothes. As the sunlight...
The Men of the City

The Men of the City

Amon Rajan did not face the room as he regarded the city-scape through the massive glass window. He appeared as a trim silhouette against the sunset and kept his hands tucked in the small of his back. It was melodramatic, aloof, and, with any luck, frustrated his...
Press and Twist

Press and Twist

He’d been here before. He was sure of it; black tablecloths, silver candlesticks, and a flock of penguin waiters. When had he been here? “We dreamed this silly.” He frowned. She was gone. He turned, straightened his shirt, and hitched his jacket. He...