Up on the roof

March 2, 2013January 12, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 4 Comments

The roof had an odd pitch to it, making it a challenge but not impossible to walk across. Stan kept his hand on Pauley’s back, claiming he was helping steady her, but really he liked that he could feel the heat of her body through her silk blouse. He worried that the steep angle would … Continue reading Up on the roof

How the cookie crumbles

February 27, 2013January 6, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 17 Comments

"You have entered the winter of your life." After reading the fortune, I wadded it up inside the cellophane the cookie came wrapped in, tossing it on my abandoned plate. Reaching for another cookie, my dinner companion tried to retrieve the first slip of paper. “Wait, what did this one say?” He pulled back his … Continue reading How the cookie crumbles

Infected fonts

February 25, 2013January 6, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 20 Comments

Gleaned from washer lint traps and waste cans in the homes she cleaned, and bits of colored rag tumbleweed littering the streets, she stirred up a kaleidoscope slurry. Imagining the letters from the discarded scrap rearranging themselves into new stories, she washed away the inappropriate words with the other dregs. Doctor in hand, she spread … Continue reading Infected fonts

Relief came

February 24, 2013January 6, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 20 Comments

Hanging from the tree house railing, impatiens swing in the breeze. His mother, standing at the edge of the pine needles, discovered the bones of a child wrapped in a pink blanket.

The air up here

February 23, 2013January 12, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 3 Comments

Lenore drove into the city with Stan riding shotgun beside her, his window rolled down to get some air circulating through the car. Vivian and Pauley sandwiched Danela between them in the back seat. The girl, in the throes of an anxiety attack, sat hunched over, her head almost lying in Vivian’s lap. After driving … Continue reading The air up here

Open water

February 20, 2013January 5, 2015 ~ Tara R. ~ 21 Comments

I exhaust my arsenal of survival strategies too soon. My spirit depleted, your clever ruses skew my sense of worthiness. Changing tactics, I keep to the shallows where my choices are clear. Accustom to playing your mind games and navigating your sins of omission, my last chance at victory is the uncomplicated truth. A secret … Continue reading Open water