I was feeling hungry. I’d had some toast for breakfast, but that had been the last of the bread, and I didn’t have anything else left to eat. I still had an onion and some mayonnaise, but I couldn’t think of how I’d make a meal out of them. I wouldn’t get paid for another … [Read more…]
Harold wondered what had gone wrong. He’d dressed nice for the interview. He’d been as close to charming as it was possible for him to be. They’d even laughed at some of his jokes, and he’d tried to restrain his natural cynicism, as it was never welcome at interviews. Just enough snark to be funny, … [Read more…]
Simon had just loaded the skeleton onto his cart when he heard shouting coming from the fresh grave beside him. He pulled his shovel back out and began moving the dirt from the shouting to the grave that he’d just finished digging. Having gotten the skeleton, all he had left to do was fill it … [Read more…]
When I first found him, he told me that he couldn’t be trusted. I should have listened. I didn’t, though. Everybody talks about themselves like they’re a real bad guy. I figured I wouldn’t pay attention, because it was just his way of talking himself up. It wasn’t though. I really shouldn’t have trusted him. … [Read more…]
It was pretty clear that the dog had just been wrong. I figured he’d just made an honest mistake, and I didn’t hold it against him at all. But nonetheless, the man was really easy-going, and not hard to get along with at all. In fact, one of the first things he did was offer … [Read more…]
Vox went down to the river in the morning, the way he had for years. That morning, however, he was joined by a crow that fluttered over to a tree nearby. It flapped its wings kind of frantically, as it landed on an outstretched branch of the pine beneath it. The bird had a bit … [Read more…]
As he hit the snooze button again, Sampson was sure he heard voices coming out of the clock. “Told you.” “Yeah, you were right.” Even though all he really wanted was to go back to sleep, Sampson sat up and looked over at the clock. He thought about giving it a shake just to see … [Read more…]
Lucas went with the others into the beautiful room where the committee did its work. It had once been a grand library, and marble pillars framed rows of books. There were high balconies all around the sides of the room, looking over the gigantic oval, wooden table that the Academia had had moved into the … [Read more…]
It was already hot outside even though it was still early in the day. It had been baking for days, and the nights were just a brief respite of slightly cooler temperatures before the sun came back up and started cooking you again. It was like being put on simmer for a while, before the … [Read more…]
Gerald walked quickly through the city. He scanned the alleys and balconies as he passed by, sure that he was being followed. Eventually, he knew that he’d have to turn down one of the side streets to his right. He couldn’t just keep going straight forever. Every time he came to a corner, though, the … [Read more…]