Stories and Paintings
Stan ate only a piece of toast and a mouthful of bacon; he left his eggs and caviar untouched. With his head hanging low, he trudged back upstairs, mulling over the morning’s cruel newspaper headlines. In the main bathroom, he brushed his teeth then stared at himself in the enormous mirror. He inhaled a... Continue Reading →
With a gentle whir, the automatic blinds drew slowly back across the bedroom window, allowing the 6am sunshine to bestow its light and warmth upon the peaceful face of Stanley Berserkervich. Stan squinted, mumbled, then rolled over and stretched. He laid on his back and rubbed his eyes, then stared up at the ceiling... Continue Reading →
After arriving in Denver, Ray and Carl checked into a modest hotel. Ray believed an unannounced visit to Peter Zdunowski’s home that night would not be well received, and that it would be better to approach him then next day. Carl agreed, saying he had come up with the same idea. Around eleven... Continue Reading →
There was a time, not so long ago, when men were men. There was a time when the elderly were respected, when milkmen were appreciated, and when children could ride their bikes down at the quarry on a Sunday afternoon without fear of perverts or peanut butter sandwiches. Those were the days. My... Continue Reading →
Adolescence can be awkward, and Jenny Plural knew it better than most. With thick glasses, chunky braces on her teeth, chronic acne and a huge mop of frizzy hair, she was never going to attain to popular beauty standards. Neither did she have a sparkling personality or brilliant mind to compensate. She had only... Continue Reading →
Ray nodded. “He had a condition… It was why his body had grown so tall so fast. He was such a huge presence on the court, tough to guard, and defensively… when he was on his game, no one got past him.” “Hold on,” said Carl, turning in his seat to face Ray. He flipped... Continue Reading →
Late that afternoon, having observed the new Dunk Force squad’s three-hour training session (the last hour and a half of which consisted of watching an educational film entitled Racial Inclusivity and Healing in a Multicultural Society—Part 6: The Sub-Humanness of White People), Ray and Carl were driven to a nearby airfield. As Ray stepped... Continue Reading →
Gordon Percival Fletcher folded his hands upon the thick, worn book in his lap and sighed. He looked around the empty room at the back of the library. Three empty chairs in a semicircle in front of him. Three was optimistic. There was a time when he needed to set out as many as... Continue Reading →
Ray made his way around the court, back to where Larry was waiting for him. “So, what do you think?” asked Larry. Ray looked about the arena. “It’s a damn joke. You have half a team—maybe. But they don’t know what they’re in for. I don’t know if they’re up to it.” “We don’t... Continue Reading →
Ray took a cup and held it beneath the cooler spout. As he continued to watch the players, he poured himself some of what he assumed was an energy drink. He raised it to his lips and took a long sip, then dropped his cup and bent forward, choking and spluttering. As his chest... Continue Reading →
