October 2021

“When I was a kid, I raced to get to sleep before the sun went down. If I wasn’t asleep by midnight at the latest, this ghost thing would come out, paralyze me, suck the fear out of my mouth.   I know I sound crazy, honey.   As a kid, my dad saw Shadow […]

That fall Paul started walking the mile home from work instead of driving. His best friend, Carl, dying of a heart attack flipped a switch, made him think about his own mortality. As he strolled, a fiery red leaf tumbled from a now leafless tree. Paul’s spring and summer had passed. Soon, autumn would, too.

The babawomp gililded the tuntiblee and saw the Tadoradoo gleaned. Babawomp’s youngest kriddle had falunked without bidilling zu fillering again. The babawomp sadiddled into the fillering and looked into the Tadoradoo. The babawomp grindled. A universe had grown again. It was expanding on all sides of the Tadoradoo, yamelerating so it nearly zizzed. This always

CONTENT WARNING: Suicide   They called my mother mentally ill after she tried to drown me as a child. She tried to explain that it was the demon inside her that did it. No one believed her. Doctors spouting facts have a magic of their own. My dad locked her up. She died shortly after.

Eight-year-old Mildred hated her name, so on her first day of school she changed it to Liz. ​​ Liz brought out a rebellious side in her, but she wanted something with more beauty and elegance, so on Monday she changed her name yet again.​​ Isabella didn’t share her toys. ​ Charity played well with others, but

I’ve never seen someone as happy as Peter when we drove up to the abandoned cobbler shop with broken windows: “Only one person in the world at a time may know the secret to life, and I was chosen.” ​ I waited as he went in. ​​ I’ve never seen anyone as disappointed as Peter when

“Mommy, look at me, don’t I look like Daddy?” ​ “That’s nice honey.” ​​ She keeps folding her family’s dirty laundry, the man that isn’t “Daddy” still fresh on her mind. The way he looks, the way he smells, the way he feels, the way he tastes … ​ “Mommy, look.” ​ She should end it.

I avoided the Town of Salem’s Tears for 14 years. I was born and grew up here, but remember nothing. Part of me thinks that’s why I’m still alive. I was six years old when they found me, blood-soaked, in the neighboring town of Dusty Falls. My parents were never found. We were featured on