Weekend Business (A Reboot)
Gail signed the document with a steady hand, then locked her briefcase. “Business awaits,” he said. “You’ll be OK this weekend?” Recalling the suspicious “business” charges on their Visa statement, she imagines Rich’s face later when the card is declined. With a dismissive wave, Gail smiles. “I’m sure I will.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joining the crew over at Ivy…
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A Cold Encounter
Such strange warmth for this time of year. Ice is still thick on the lake, a dull mirror for the fog that hovers inches above the surface. Dense and disconcerting, it blurs the distinction between earth and sky and the shroud makes dusk of midday. What am I not supposed to see? The…
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The Fireweed
Burned trees and scorched earth tell the story of what happened here. I can barely recall details of people, names, and places once so intimately familiar, nor the life that was, for a time, lush and green as the woods. A flash – a single moment – and everything changed. This once-thriving forest is now unrecognizable.…
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Star Light
Lila always dreamed of being a star. She loved moving her body to the rhythm of any song she heard, allowing the emotions within her to pour out into her movement, compelling her to tap, spin, leap, and float across the floor. She could belt out a pop or Broadway tune at the top of…
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Lila
“You never loved me?” It was more realization than question. “You’re nothin’,” Lila spat through her cigarette smoke. “Like your father,” she muttered and took another drag, her too-red lipstick leaving its stain on the butt. He hated her. Hated her cheap clothes and frowsy hair, her bra straps sticking out of blouses forever unbuttoned and…
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Curtain Call
Breathe in. Breathe out. Visualize. See yourself in front of the room, comfortable, confident, smiling as you go through the motions… “Rubbish,” she muttered. It never works. You can’t deliver a convincing portrayal when your heart isn’t in it. Not really. The words you say are just a script to fool the world into thinking that…
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The Red Chair
Rob’s heart beat faster as he parked his pickup and climbed the steps to the porch. The little red chair sitting in the corner couldn’t be the same one he lost years ago, but he had to ask. It had been his dad’s chair first, then his. Rob couldn’t remember if it was lost by…
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How Does Your Garden Grow?
“George, your yard and gardens are holding up so much better than anyone else’s on the street during this heat wave,” said Sam, pausing his morning walk to wipe the sweat from his neck. “Yeah, Betty’s taken to spending a lot more time out here since several of her friends have passed lately,” said George…
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Unresolved
This was never the plan. Your choice, but my fault – my failure – as certain as if I provided the weapon. Forever my soul will haunt the hallways of regret, closing doors on what should have been. We remain unresolved. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Written in response to the YeahWrite #342 Microprose Challenge: Write a complete story in exactly…
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Broken
Jack was tired of hearing from everyone how he should look on the bright side, how he should be thankful that even though he was broken, he was alive. “Screw that shit,” he muttered as he rifled through one of the nearby mounds of semi-dirty laundry that popped up like boils around his apartment since…
