Fiction

  And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and … Read More

  There was blood. And unspeakable pain, which rolled and clenched in hard, burning waves. Sarah spent two days in the bathroom, watching the summer rains through the window and squeezing the washcloth her wife Tess had gently placed in … Read More

  I met Gabe Dove when I was sad and attracting men who liked me sad. There was the jeweler with goopy eyes, the lawyer who overtexted. Men with lotioned hands, combed beards, tight jeans. Many had allergies. Few ate … Read More

  The snake is back. It’s in the middle of the living room and it has taken a bite of its tail. It’s eating itself. Or maybe not eating, just…I don’t know, I don’t want to know. What has possessed … Read More

  Spring rains had cut little gullies into the caliche topping beyond the cattle guard. Washed out the soil beneath right down to the hardpan. I got off my bike and followed the curves of the lane up the rise … Read More

  That last night at home, Michael sat with his father at the fireside, barely an arm’s reach apart, the turf in the hearth between them burning shades of fox-fur and rose hip. Sean’s age lay heavy on frame and … Read More

  Each night at dusk we built our fire in the usual spot, back from the water’s edge, camouflaged by white-barked birches and scraggly pines. We sprawled our bodies across the rocks and logs that encircled this makeshift hearth. Finally, … Read More

  There was no warning when the cattle turned. Just an October day like any other. It was weaning season, and they were peeling the yearlings from their mothers, so maybe that’s what did it. But why that year, that … Read More

  I’d just as soon cut his throat as watch him take one more step toward the mall. All things being equal. All things are not equal, so I’ll wait here until he comes back out and hope he’s one … Read More

  Brandon and I were skulking around in front of the house, doing our best to impersonate respectability, when Mrs. Alvarado finally deigned to appear. I was watching the sky; high overhead, the wind gently pushed wispy clouds that looked … Read More

  Simon Bettendorf, a motor-mouth grill cook and chronic history major, had no intention of taking up with a Lead Belly’s server or helping her mother to die, but he did both. It started on a Monday night, one of … Read More

  Hector and I ride out from the slat-ribbed herd to find the lost cow. Morning lies red against the distant range. As the minutes pass the sky deepens, blue and empty as ever. “I don’t see this damn thing … Read More