Categotry Archives: Fiction
Suzie’s House 526 : Where’s Vin 2
Vin’s head hurt like the devil when he came to. In the dim confines of the camper, the first thing he recognized was a growing pool of blood on linoleum floor, and the roar of a pick-up engine coming to life. In other words, though the crack at the back of his head had done some damage, but he hadn’t been unconscious for long. He tried to push himself upright to find his hands had been bound behind his back. […]
Spring Cleaning
The first day of Spring, Ruth had the patio cleared of all the debris. A week later she had the old, wrought iron table brought out from a garage. Two chairs turned up in the attic. Two were in a storage unit. She found the last two in the basement. It all needed a good coat of paint. By the time she was done, it was nearly Summer. She looked over her hard work with pleasure. “Now, all I need […]
Suzie’s House 525 : Where’s Vin?
“Miranda, where’s Vin?” Drew barely waited for her to open the door to the room she shared with Vin before asking. “What? You think I’m his social secretary or something?” She stepped into the hallway. “He isn’t here.” In truth, she’d been worried about him for a while now. He was working the kind of scary case that had once lead a pair of killers right to their door. Only way back then it had been Drew’s case and Drew […]
Gorilla Art
On a narrow mountain road in Bolivia Ted pulled a paint pot and brush from his backpack. “You even have supplies with you now?” Anita, who financed the trip, set her much lighter pack on the ground. “You never know when there will be a chance for a social statement.” He began painting fingernails onto a keep-hands-off road sign. “That’s a palm, not the back of a hand,” she observed. “It’ll mess with people’s minds.” “Are you trying to make […]
Suzie’s House 524 : Clean and Clear
“Well? Well?! What do your think?” Drew could hardly contain himself as he put the last glass down among a forest of glasses on the kitchen table. In the course of half an hour he’d swallowed a dozen different concoctions. He’d done some weird yoga things too and some other stuff that Sonoma said would set him off if he wasn’t a hundred percent yet. If he’d had a melt down, he’d totally missed it. He’d been watching the clock, […]
During the Eclipse of the Moon
Ted and Martin both hunched over cameras set up on tripods. Ted clicked a shot, checked the results, and swore. “Still blurry! I barely even touched it this time. What am I doing wrong?” “The earth moved,” Martin mumbled as he made his own attempt. “No, really. That’s why mine in on a fast setting.” “What? Are you saying the earth is spinning faster than my camera can work?” “Hey look!” Martin tipped the ipad he had slaved to the […]
Suzie’s House 523 : Shoes
“How much longer are they going to be here?” Miranda glared into the hall through which the old couple had exited minutes before. “As long as it takes.” Suzie pulled a roll of cookie dough out of the refrigerator and started slicing. “Takes for what? To worm they way into the house as permanent honorary members?” Suzie didn’t bother to respond, which only made Miranda all the more insecure. She knew she wasn’t exactly being generous, but she felt like […]
Either Or
Family Tree A party conducted itself with perfect gentility in the sprawling “old heap” while Edgar sat in the graveled parking lot piling stones. He tried to ignore the voices in his head. They sounded exactly like his parents. “What should we do with him?” “An institution?” “His autism isn’t profound. Surely we can….” “What? Keep him hidden? Too late for that.” By the time the first guests came out, the Edgar’s pile of precariously balanced stones stood shoulder high. […]
Suzie’s House 522 : Another Degree of Separation
Drew eyed the thick, green brew in a teacup with some misgivings. Although Sonoma did her best to make the stuff taste good, she didn’t always succeed. Since he’d never been a fan of slimy food, he suspected this was going to be particularly vile. “Just hold your nose and down it as fast as you can. But don’t throw up! You are not allowed to throw up.” Sonoma returned his glare with stubborn insistence.
Boxed In
Box springs. Jenny ran her fingers over the crisp, white sheets, feeling every dent and furrow. The monitor beeping next to her was also a kind of box. The white-walled room another. The nurse’s station in the hallway also squared off. “Malignant,” The doctor had said with painful compassion. “But you’re a fighter. A boxer, right? You’ll be fine.” Yeah, she’d been a fighter, but when she was in the boxing ring, she wasn’t alone. The Challenge: Write a story […]
True Love
“My love for you is like this flower.” Alicia held it up Liam like an Olympic torch to the flaming bowl. “It’s a dandelion.” He backed off a step, almost tripping over the back step of Sally’s house. Alicia advanced on him. “It survives the hottest days of Summer or the depths of Winter. It will not die, but ever, eternally, longingly continue. All it needs is the water of your returned affection.” “You already know I love Sally.” “But” […]
Suzie’s House 521 : Degree of Separation
Beth slid into her seat with her head ducked down in deference to the teacher. Five minutes late for class wasn’t really that long, but it seemed like a lot when every one else was already sitting. Except Emma, of course. Because Emma had been out in the hall, singing. Wow. Just… wow.
Tropical Vacation
Marge and Jane bumped into each other in the Atlanta airport. “Hey, Marge! Where have you been? I’m just flying home after a wonderful vacay in the Bahamas. Sun, surf, and cabana boys. I’m bringing home so much rum my suitcase is gurgling. How about you?” She arched one eyebrow with a superior smirk. “Costa Rica – a resort West of Liberia.” She just smiled. “Oh my word! Look out the window. Is that SNOW? In Atlanta?” Marge gave it […]
Suzie’s House 520: Hall Concert
Justin heard Emma’s voice from two floors down when he stepped into the stairwell. He checked the time on his phone. Now? When class was about to start? She’d start a riot! He raced up the stairs and burst into the hall to see Emma and Bruce in the T intersection surrounded by a dozen students. She had on a mask. Bruce had his keyboard out and tried to play with one hand. Justin kept himself from running over mostly […]
Minimum Wage
Ted swore. The little wooden disk he’d just made split in half under the drill, flying off to hit the wall. That made three failures. Could he fill Ruth’s order in time? She hadn’t even argued over his ten dollar charge. Ten minutes and an angry gardener chasing to get the branches. Five minutes running branches through the table saw but all day fixing the machine Five minutes on the grinder with twenty buttons lost and back to the saw. […]
