Stories

masquerade – gang – allege – double – lucky tea – personality – introduction – parasite – class He’s not waking, despite the bustle of the street, and it’s nearly nine AM. “Excuse — sir.” I’ll offer him my tea, they didn’t have Earl Grey anyways. First pull my scarf tighter and higher around the neck. It’s a cold morning. I’ll just give him a quick...

parallel – informal – crude – expand – popular unlikely – analyst – replacement – cell – chest It was the day Sarah had been waiting for for nine years, but she couldn’t help but feel the weight of the tragedy that was parallel to her relief. Here she was, twenty-three, and this morning’s dose of beta blockers would her last after every day since...

feud – philosophy – palace – finger – scandal skyscraper – complacent – handle – crawl – challenge Real money is changing hands. I couldn’t believe it at first. The feud over the recess toy market has been going since April, but I think the rivalry between Tony Newsome and Alan Wright has been going since J.K.. Then it was over who could head-stand...

defamation – stroke – reporter – truck – weasel supermarket – encyclopedia – contemplate – classify – clutch It was a stroke of luck she’d intercepted the musician on the way to his vehicle. Not because she hadn’t been waiting for him —she had, all day in fact, outside his studio— but she was just about to get a bite from the supermarket across the...

metamorphosis – rogue – shrug – salamander – sleepy chimpanzee – enzyme – lemon – glance – merge An albino chimpanzee. White fur and white skin seen on the face and hands, the product of rogue enzymes. A metamorphosis — a divergence from his dark-haired kin. And because of it, Dom is treated as a different species in his habitat. Worse than that...

medieval – derive – molten – oar – rhythm ears – antique – corn – daughter – yammer “No sir, if you’re looking for a specific item, it’s best just to come into the store.” Then a reply unheard, followed by: “I don’t know if we have that oar sir, we have lots of watercraft pieces.” Ridley’s Antiques was where Harv Bishop was visiting on a Tuesday...

blacksmith – tongue – woman – spark – musical blind – Bible – barbecue – elbow – bundle I press the ignitor button and I hear it clicking, but there isn’t a spark. I grab my cigarette lighter from my back pocket, hold it lit to the vent on the side of the rusted barbecue and the accumulated propane bursts into flame. Once it’s up the temperature and...

murder – green – agreement – traditional – carpenter snake – sugar – kidney – congress – jam “He’s dead.”  “What?”  “Jesus christ.”  “What are you talking about? Step into the light, you’re scaring me over there.”  “The greenie, the kid, he’s dead by the trees. I went to check on him.”  “Where is he?”  “I thought he was just taking a piss.”  “Where...

nosy – sponsor – passenger – willing – smile brew – yellow – neighbour – hundred – stairwell A knock at the door to the suite. I turn, looking over the queen-sized bed and joining living space that separate me from the door; a nice room, really, for what it cost me. Before I can say so, Daryl lets himself back into the room. “Got the ice,” he says...