THE WIND ALONG THE RIDGE
I feed twigs to the smoldering tinder and a tongue of flame hesitantly kisses them. A whisp of smoke stings my eyes and the scent carries the intoxicating prospect of warmth. I gaze up at the stars in…
NEEDLES II
My eyes dilate. Sweat streams down my cheeks. I swallow dryly. I can discern no answers about what this future will hold. “I’ll do it” I say, and lick my cracked lips as I sink to my knees. The dark f…
HOUSE BY THE CLIFFS
I’m staying in a very large and very old house up on a hill that overlooks the coast. The weather is permanently overcast. A stillness drapes across the area like a weighted blanket, and belies the lo…
MANIC BEFORE BEEF
I bought three new watches before dinner, and I wear each of them along my arm as we walk into the restaurant. Just myself and five of my closest friends and employees (I pay them after all) getting t…
BEES
I wake beneath a pine tree as a morning sunbeam caresses my face. I stretch my body, and flakes of wax fall away as my skin pulls taught. The bees are stirring as well, and I can feel their fuzzy bodi…
BURN THE WITCH
I empty the plastic can over my head and the gasoline cascades down my face. Harsh vapors sting my eyes and blur my vision as I toss the can onto the pile of wood stacked around my waist. I feel the s…
CLEAN YOUR SKELETON
I can feel an itch deep beneath my skin along the surface of my bones. They’re filthy and need to be cleaned. The light in my bathroom is bright and white. There are no shadows where dust and grime ca…
NEEDLE PREOCCUPATION
I lie awake at night, but still I dream of needles. Their soft caress across my smooth skin as they surround me in my bed. When I stretch or adjust they pierce my body and make me bleed. I’ve grown us…
A PLACE OF GEARS
I’m a member of a flight crew on a mission to relocate our town. My plane goes down partway through. I’m the only survivor. I wake up in a dark space on top of a gear of some type. Everything is movin…
NIGHT FEELINGS
Caustic, manic, desire. A fever dream on fire. My thoughts thump to an accelerating kick drum in my chest. I feel the tendons in my legs stretch as the drugs pulse through my system. My spine arches a…
INSOMNIA
I’ve been laying awake in bed for hours, about three now, and I’m not really tired at all. I took my seroquel and a few melatonin gummies, but I don’t really feel anything. My body is just awake and I…
INTERVIEW
“Can you see or hear anything right now that nobody else can see or hear?” I glance quickly at the red devil gazing at me from over the psychiatrist’s shoulder. “No.” She writes in her notebook. “Have…
COMMUNION
I weave through rows of utterly alien beings who I trust more than the humans I’ve known since childhood. We’re preparing to connect to The Network, and each of us must prepare in our own way. I slide…
CATERPILLARS
Soft footfalls along a peat-strewn path, through grasping underbrush she passes. Leaves stir in a breeze that carries my laugh, and we meet amidst the wild roses. Speaking softly not to disturb the la…