Olivia Ramírez lived off a dirt road in the Maine woods. But she had not always lived in a rural area. Born in North Central Bronx Hospital, she spent her youth in a two-bedroom, run down brownstone in Norwood where she enjoyed a secluded, studious life with her mother and older sister. Two days after her... Continue Reading →
The Train Station
“Do you know what time it is?” “It’s 7:04.” “Thank you. My phones battery just died. So I can’t tell the time.” Sofia watched as the man to her left slid his phone in his pocket and reached into his leather backpack. He pulled out a thick, white book. Smiling, Sofia pulled out her own copy... Continue Reading →
The Writer
The writer was attending the meeting of a third book club for the novel In Jest. They had been kicked out of two prior book clubs for disorderly conduct, i.e. instigating verbal confrontation with group members. It had taken them two weeks of scouring online sources to find this book club, and they had to take the Subway... Continue Reading →
Surf Lessons
The island breeze hit the back of Héctor’s neck, pulling horizontally at the fine hairs. It was seventy-one degrees, cool enough for a sweater. But his client, a tourist from Frankfurt named Hans, had sweat beads dripping down his sunburned skin. Hans was an investment banker: single, forty-six, and recently grappling with the consequences of his inactive, high-stress lifestyle. Despite... Continue Reading →
Sound and Color
The C major 7 chord is purple. The F chord is orange. The D minor chord is blue. And the G chord is yellow. This is a short story about Lance. And synesthesia. Well, this is my short story. I am Lance. I sometimes refer to myself in the third person. I’m strange. And I always have been. Or... Continue Reading →
The Failure
Jessica’s greatest fear was failure. So, from a young age, she organized her life in a way that would impede such an event. As a child, she was the kid all the teachers and adults loved. In High School, she aced her way to valedictorian of her class. In her friendships, she was the leader... Continue Reading →
Like Samson and Delilah
June wasn’t born in June. In fact, she was born on the day of the winter solstice: December 21, 1992. So June was an ironic name, a name that didn’t fit her. She had black straight hair, porcelain skin without the mark of a single freckle, a frail frame, and eyes as black as the... Continue Reading →