A Mess

Mark was twelve years old when he first found and read his older sister’s journal. It was hidden in a gap behind the top drawer of one of her nightstands. He knew he’d be in big trouble if his sister, Beth, or his parents found out but he was careful and what was the...

Rough Night

I can’t sleep. I’ve tried everything, but my brain is out of control, and I can’t drift off. I even tried my worst-case solution involving counting backward from four-hundred, by threes. In Spanish. Usually, the counting is demanding enough that it gets my mind off...

Hideout

I shiver a little in the crisp, pine scented air. It’s cooler again this morning, reminding me that winter is approaching. Otherwise, it’s beautiful. Blotches of bright gold aspen leaves stand out from the lodgepole pines carpeting the mountainsides. But my eyes water...

Unplanned Windfall

I was sorry to hear that Joel had died. He was a past fast-food coworker of mine that became somewhat of a friend. He had asked me whether he could store some things in my garage for a few months. I was reluctant, but he offered to pay rent for using the space, and he...

The Easy Life

Chris ignored the thrashing and tightened his arm around Craig’s neck. Eventually the movements stopped, the muscles relaxed, and Craig’s arms and legs went slack. Then Chris dragged the body down the hall and manhandled it onto his rumpled bed. He stripped the body...

The Cookies

Keith was following his usual routine, arriving fifteen minutes early at the high-tech military contractor where he worked. He flashed his badge for the guard, went up an elevator, weaved through the maze of cubicles, and eventually reached his own little workspace....