Short story: “Leslie”

When the principal’s secretary called our names over the intercom, asking our teacher to send us down to the office, my heart beat the way it does when you’re at a parade and the band’s drums jump into your stomach. I was pretty sure what it was about. At lunch on the playground, I’d watched …

100-word Flash Fiction: “The Enemy”

My hat blew off and instead of chasing it, I watched it skip across the sand. As the distance grew, I noticed within me a stubborn resistance. Around me, others were absorbed in their worlds, paying little attention to mine and I liked that. That I could let my hat blow away without someone running …

100-word Flash Fiction: “Chicken”

Jane’s feet squished in the wet gravel. She was glad to be out and moving after two days of rain. Her bones had been creaking. Out of habit, she stayed to the right and walked to the beat of the music on her phone. A figure, a woman, approached in the middle of the path. …

100-word Flash Fiction: “Chat”

The mixed egg sizzled then turned fluffy in the small cast-iron pan. Don’t add milk,” she’d instructed earlier, asserting as much control she could in her diminishing domain. Across the room, she waited in her chair. “And don’t overcook it,” she added. “It dries out too much if you do.” Egg done and on a …

Walking at a distance

They had been walking the trail of their new development. It was a gorgeous spring day. People were out, at a distance, of course, but neighbors and walkers from the older development were coming over from the connected trail. From a distance, which is how people were observed these days, they looked like an older …

Twenty-seven

Image: Pixabay “I’m twenty-seven,” she answered. Jane was at the age of confidence. Twenty-seven was a good age to be. She had already accomplished a great deal for her age. She had finished her education, was well-paid in her job. And she felt strong and, if not beautiful, pretty good-looking, above average at least, she …

Timmy and the Race

Timmy stood there, defiant. If any of the other boys had looked closer, they would have seen that he was about to cry. A mother would have known this, his mother would have definitely known, and had she been there she would have rushed over to Timmy, comforted him from the wrong he was suffering, …