When the wave of virus pandemics in the 2020s and 2030s made travel abroad impossible, I really missed it. It felt like a First World problem, complaining about a lack of holidays. I mean, it’s not like I’d died, got any lingering illnesses, or lost anyone...
There are two kinds of people in my town- people who loved Mara’s Sweets and Such, and people who thought Mara was the worst person in existence and that anyone that bought her baked goods were the worst. The bakery didn’t exist when I went off...
As much as James loved the hunt, the prep work that needed to be done beforehand was always a bit tedious. He had to find a door that was relatively secluded and could be easily secured, not within sight of any security cameras, and preferably...
My grandpa Chuck is a Baby Boomer, and without a doubt, the most quintessentially Boomer thing my grandpa does is maintain a ‘display room.’ It’s basically a second living room, except instead of IKEA, it’s filled with artisanal, luxury European furnishings, which no one is...
I’m sure you’ve seen the headlines by now. Seen and probably forgot about, since the news cycle has already left them behind for whatever you’re supposed to be outraged about and terrified of this week. In case you actually did forget, allow me to refresh your...
The rain was already coming down hard when Oliver Mason had gotten the call that his presence was required immediately at Avalon Asylum. He was at first quite bewildered by this since Oliver Mason was not a doctor but the proprietor of a men’s clothing...
So I found this Santa Claus card last night. It blew right into my ankle as I was walking around the downtown area of my city. The colors were faded, but not enough to where I couldn’t make out the letters and numbers. The background...
Although stress and chaos are the natural order at a hospital, few things serve to rattle doctors and nurses more than death. The cold, procedural actions undertaken before, during, and after a passing, contrast heavily with the unrestrained drama surrounding the patient and their families....
No one in the support group thought recovery would be easy. But Morrison couldn’t even get past step 1: I admit I am powerless over alcohol/drugs, and my life has become unmanageable. Unlike most in the group, no one hadn’t been court-ordered to attend. In...
Harris Wilson never considered himself particularly generous, especially around the holiday season. He’d spent too many years concerned about the direction of his life and where he would find himself after several disastrous years at college. But after a series of short-lived low-rent jobs, mostly...
Growing up, my dream was to be a journalist. Maybe I’d watched too many movies, but I loved the idea of chasing down big stories and going undercover to investigate huge scoops. Mingling with the rich and famous and being first on the scene of...
His secretary had asked him if he’d had time for an interview today…some small-time reporter, looking to earn a few clicks out of a chat with an old businessman. He’d declined, of course. Told her to reschedule for next week, although even if he was...
I was headed toward the airport to catch a flight, driving down a country road that my GPS claimed would serve as a shortcut when my luck officially ran out. A sudden flat tire caused me to swerve off the road, slamming my rental car into...
In the late 1800s, set against the raw beauty of Lake Michigan, if you looked across the water, you would often see a dazzling spectacle. Sleek, three-masted schooners were running smoothly on a western wind day in and day out before the days of motor vehicles....
Everyone in town knew my family, the Bowers. We are considered cornerstones by some. Never wavering in any community activity. Until this year. We experienced a tragedy, one that only now with the holidays past us I can talk about. It’s an event that changed the meaning of this...
Eggnog, the Guinness of dairy products, There are two types of people: those that hate it, and those that love it. I was born on December 22nd, just three days before Christmas Day. I can remember my mother talking about how she drank it by the...
My family still visits now and then. They check-in, a text once every so often, an email. I don’t blame them. They act concerned but keep just enough distance not to become wrapped up in the stench that follows me. My parents still hold onto...
There are numerous games that circulate the internet. Most are written for fun. A rare few are written based on real experiences of those who found the worn corners of reality. Some are trying to quantify it into a recipe as a way to process...
If you see this man on the side of the road, don’t drive home. We have this urban legend in my city called the Wrong Way Man. Supposedly, you might see him standing on the side of the road when you’re driving. Some say it’s always...
His name was Connor. Dustin Connor, but he never went by that name. Some called him Con or Connor. I called him Mr. Connor. Mr. Connor was the bravest and most imposing man that I and many have ever known. He stood well over six feet...
