On Thin Ice

On Thin Ice

On thin ice (Spiel, Satz, Schlappensieg) first published in Finito. Schwamm Drüber. Erzählungen [short stories], Kathrin Schmidt, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2011. She often thought, once she was old enough to think, that her brother was probably to thank for...
Stone

Stone

Unfortunately for me and my wife, Elissa, a subject arose that impelled Rock to hold forth. Rock was married to Elissa’s long-time friend, Ruby, and seeing and hearing Rock had become part of remaining friends with Ruby. We’d recently moved into a new house, and the...
Summer Land

Summer Land

Ever since Vernon was a teenager, he was good at sleeping. So good in fact, that his mother was scared he’d never wake up when he went to bed. Vernon held the record for the longest sleep ever taken in his family. And there weren’t many records between him and his...
What We Knew (The South, c. 1918)

What We Knew (The South, c. 1918)

THESE ARE THE EARLIEST THINGS WE KNEW: RUNNING BAREFOOT ON WHITE Florida sand and red Alabama clay. Sleeping beneath hairy oaks and climbing when we pleased. Clothes was rags and we hardly had shoes, but it was hot most the time, heat rubbing up against you like a...
Ornithology

Ornithology

LAST NIGHT I DREAMED I was a child. Mother on the front porch, watering flowers. Daddy on the couch, book fallen to the floor. Too young for words, I know nothing of their worlds. Ornithology. Site fidelity. Geraniums. Faith. I know nothing yet of the split between...
Thirst

Thirst

SHANTAY UNLOCKED THE FRONT DOOR OF HER MOTHER’S HOUSE, THE WEIGHT of her 9mm Luger pressed against her hip. Before she pushed the door open, she glanced over her shoulder, scanning the block, which was moonlit and chilly on that spring night. Inside, she untied her...