Malcolm's coo became a cry. The big hands came, to sweep him up, into the dark, cradled, into the big arms. And his cries, despite himself and the rage that swelled within him, subsided.

The big arms swayed, the soft sounds soothed, and Ma...   [Read more...]

It was midnight in the Temple of the Light, the sun was shining, and the Guru Akiva was smiling up at the man with the gun.

"Go ahead, child. Do it."

The man glanced around. Nobody to see him, tall, trench coat, barr...   [Read more...]

"It's called a goldfish."

"Goldfish? Not much of a name."

"That's right. Wasn't much of a fish, either. They used to be so plentiful that we kept them as pets. Put them in bowls."

"Used to be?"

&...   [Read more...]

Leaving was the easiest decision to make, and the hardest action to take. He fingered the photograph of his wife and daughter, remembering the last time he'd held them in his arms, crying as the rain washed away his tears. He remembered the wailing sirens,...   [Read more...]

I found the ring on the bowling green. Slipped in my back pocket for later as I was in the middle of the tournament. Forgotten after the many rounds of congratulatory drinks. Left on the bedroom chair at night. Fallen out in the morning and rolled under the ...   [Read more...]

The water was clear and not a cloud was in the sky. Melody lay in the tall weeds near the lake under a weeping willow.
This was the last day of her summer vacation and as she was lounging there she was pondering all of the things she had done that summe...   [Read more...]

We wrote a song for the silver trees. The streetlamps gathered underneath the bridge to hear us. Our band played. Others milled. The night was soft. The river was a metronome.

We wrote a song for the silver trees.

Sylvia wasn't sure she sho...   [Read more...]

Above the open road
Below the open sky
Away from the clouds of crowds
Shadowed in the close of crows
Below the open sky

Summer is a sifter
Separating the go from the gone

Write an open story
Above the open road

Call it youth or freedom
Call it the future or America

Be above or below
Get out and go.

The conversation lasted two words. I survived.

That's what I usually told my girlfriends when they decided to end it with me after trying to deal with my post traumatic stress disorder. Those that began in 'rescuer mode' soon realised I was too much fo...   [Read more...]

Giving in wasn't an option. The first time Ted died he didn't really notice, being in a full on berserk. One of his incisors was embedded in the top of his shield. He only felt its loss after he lay beside the gnawed wood, head split by a centurion's sh...   [Read more...]