Robustness (part 7)

The other people on the train had no faces. Their conversations were not made of words, but overlapping differently colored noise, looped in waves of approval. They were cardboard cutouts, animatronic puppets there to give a sense of legitimacy to the whole enterprise. Only one seat remained. Leslie went straight for it and fell immediately… Continue reading Robustness (part 7)

Time Loop

Because he had invested everything he had and several hundred thousand dollars besides in what had been all but proven impossible, Lowell was getting desperate. He hadn’t even proven the theory, and in a month, he was supposed to have a working prototype of what was basically a science fiction premise. “I guess you’re pretty… Continue reading Time Loop

Fish

Congratulations on your new pet fish! Though you can’t necessarily “pet” them, goldfish can still be fun and rewarding friends for you and your whole family. As long as you feed it and keep its water clean, your goldfish will prove a faithful companion for years to come. These precious, metallic fish friends have long… Continue reading Fish

Tooth

When asked how he was doing, Noel took the risk and gave an honest answer. “My tooth is killing me.” His friend looked bored, so he added the reciprocal, “but how are you?” Stephanie was a mess. Her father was in town and every time she saw him it raised issues that she wasn’t prepared… Continue reading Tooth

Robustness (part 6)

A woman passing by looked their way and sneered cheerfully. He couldn’t move his arms to shrug or otherwise gesture, as he was pinned in place, but he wanted to respond somehow. He turned his face slightly red. Their asymmetric hug was not of lovers or of relatives, nor was it the reunion of old… Continue reading Robustness (part 6)

Fan

He had his computer at the coffeeshop not because he worked better in public. Later, he would have to erase everything and start again, all these stray thoughts infecting his own, but he couldn’t be at home anymore today. Those walls felt like obscurity. These were mediocre walls, covered in quirky animals and newspaper clippings,… Continue reading Fan

Comfort

Greta didn’t have a key anymore to the old house, and though her parents lived far away from civilization and had nothing worth stealing, they kept their estate secure. She’d grown up in this unfamiliar place. As she waited for her mother to walk herself to the door, she looked across the wasted farmland to… Continue reading Comfort