We camped out all day in the resort beach chairs. Commandeering the cabana boy first thing in the morning, just as he was hauling the canvas chaises longues out of the storage hutch, we had our pick of spots on the sugar-fine sand. Hidden beneath our spacious umbrellas, shielded from the blistering sun, we watched sunburnt tourists … Continue reading Waiting in the sun
Category: Flash Fiction
Window lizards
Sitting with my forehead against the oriel panes, my feverish breath fogged the air-conditioning chilled window. Lizards pranced across the hot bricks lining the front lawn, barely touching their vulnerable pads on the blistering concrete. I watched their acrobatics with muted amusement, but was too distracted to fully appreciate their performance. This miserable ague had drained … Continue reading Window lizards
Tick season
Tyler Winslow was a mean, seed-tick of a man, miserly and miserable. When the old man got brain fever there was no one willing to minister to him. Malevolence is contagious and even the good pastor would only preach through the front door. When the old man got brain fever there was no one willing … Continue reading Tick season
In your dreams
Legend says, when you can’t sleep at night, it’s because you’re awake in someone else’s dream." Belle lays in bed watching the blade of her ceiling fan make lazy circles. Tearing her eyes away from the hypnotic circling, Belle dares to look at her clock. Dim neon green numbers taunt her with 3:34. Despite her … Continue reading In your dreams
Lucky swallows
Folklore holds that a swallow nesting on your roof is lucky. If it flies into your house, it’s even more fortunate. I hope that’s true. I watch the chittering birds bringing twigs and dreck into the garden, piecing together their roosts. Hurricane season is near, and they must be settled before the storms come. Concrete … Continue reading Lucky swallows
Fortune teller
"You pays your money and you takes your choice!" The carnival barker called out to festival goers, trying to entice them to play games of chance. He knew, and they knew, that there was no winning. All contests were rigged in favor of the Blackwell Bros. Mystery Circus. Still they came, laying down their hard-earned … Continue reading Fortune teller





