Sitting at my kitchen table, I was staring at a stack of envelopes; some marked "PAST DUE," others marked "FINAL NOTICE," all in bright red. I knew I was in financial trouble and had no idea how I'd find my way out. "Fucking Pandemic," I thought. Tears began to flow from my eyes as I gathered the bills and placed them with last month's version of the same bad news. My name is Penelope Barnes. I was born in Harrow, UK, a s...

Saad took the elevator up to the luxury penthouse condo of his friend, Rob. The friendship between the pair had evolved after years of going out to chase women together and drink on weekends. As the years passed, the two had made it to their mid-thirties and established themselves in life. Rob had entered a long-term open relationship with a woman who was okay with him sleeping around. Compared to Rob, Saad was still livi...

“Happy Birthday, Roser!” My mum led the toast. My dad, my mum, and my circle of close friends from college all clinked glasses. “Here’s to many more,” said Maria, who I sat next to in class and was the best friend I’d made there. We sat next to each other in lectures. We went to museums and historical sites together. We were going to see Coldplay in May. “Thank you!” I had another reason to celebrate, though I was not abo...

Part 2: The Mezzanine In a normal theater, the mezzanine can be one of two things. One can be found in a grand opera house with multiple levels of seating and rococo interior. There, the mezzanine is the balcony sandwiched between the first and third levels. Often fancy people in fancy dress visit the opera with monocle in hand to listen to sweet notes of music in German or French. The other mezzanine refers to the front...

The trip starts before you board the plane. You're dressed in a short skirt with a button-down blouse, high heels, and nothing underneath except for a Lovesense remote-controlled vibrator. I personally pick you up from the airport and drive you to your hotel. During the drive, we’ll talk as I want to get to know you first, but I will check to make sure you’ve followed those simple directions. I’ll make sure to have some e...

The doorbell's ring echoed through the house, prompting me to answer. I despised those peddlers of junk who constantly tried to swindle me, thinking I was an easy target because of my age. As I trudged towards the door, anger began to boil within me, the harsh words I intended to throw at these lowlife con artists taking shape in my mind. The moment I opened the door, my bitter resentment dissolved into nothingness. Stand...

5:43pm. I locked my phone and tossed it on the bed. I’m not going to check again. For two months you and I had been apart—how could the final minutes feel so torturous? But the words of your last text had strapped my heart into a pillory and left it exposed to the unrelenting whip of suspense. “Be ready for me.” Was I ready? Calm, controlled breathing couldn’t still that whip as I approached the bedroom mirror for the hun...

The relentless rain had been pouring down for the past few days, and today was no exception. By the time I sprinted home from the bus stop, I was drenched to the bone. My old bones complained all the way, and I was completely out of breath. As I was about to insert my key into the keyhole, I spotted Amy, my daughter's neighbor, sitting on her porch, equally soaked. And equally miserable. "Hey, Amy!" I shouted over to her....

When Valerie got to work on Monday, she was still all aglow. Her best friend, Crystal, met her in the lunchroom. Valerie was putting her lunch in the refrigerator and her left hand was on top of the door holding it. “Well, how much longer are you going to be MISS Hudson?” Crystal was holding Valerie’s hand and smiling. “I don’t know yet. Jeff is so full of surprises. For all I know, he’s crazy enough to bring a minister h...