I woke up with a start. “Laura!” my brother cried. It was the panic in his voice that jerked me to full consciousness. Ray looked horrified, and when I followed his eyes to the foot of our bed I saw the cause of his distress. Aunt Grace and Uncle Edwin stood over us, arms akimbo. “Shit,” I yelped, and tried to cover my nakedness. Deciphering their expressions proved a challenge. Their faces looked stern, but there was som...

I finished the chapter, turned the page, and rested my well-worn bookmark snug in the gutter before closing The Country Girls and placing the book on the accent table next to my armchair. Edna O'Brien’s writing inspired and frustrated me in equal measure. A breeze disturbed the sheer curtains flanking the balcony’s doorway. The shifting air came as a welcome relief. I was no stranger to sultry weather, but this Italian su...

Father Thomas cleared his throat, shifting in the dimly lit confessional. The worn velvet of his vestments brushed against the cold, wooden panel separating him from his next confessor. The murmur of the congregation outside the church drifted in, a gentle reminder of his duty. He had been a priest for barely a year, and this was his first assignment in the wealthy suburbs of Eastbridge. The parish was large and well-fund...

His escapist writing had come to an end and a cool drink brought reality back into focus. The square wasn't particularly busy, but it had become noisier, as the three women who had arrived planned their next move. The loudly discussed and agreed plan of action involved sitting at his table. When the three women did so, he saw the logo 'Tick Box Trio - Summer 2024 Tour' on each of their tee shirts. He made no effort to hid...

I grew up with a loving and affectionate mother, but an absentee father. Dad worked all the time, and most of it involved travel. I didn’t learn that he had cancer until after he died. I was eighteen years old at the time. Fortunately, he had a very good life insurance policy and had invested wisely. He left Mom and me independently wealthy. My mother was thirty-six, twenty years younger than my father when he passed. Bec...

Let me share how my mundane life took an unexpected turn. I was your classic late-forties guy, happily married with kids and a house in the burbs—just your run-of-the-mill suburbanite. I played the role of a decent husband, dutifully tackling chores and fatherly responsibilities and even managing to satisfy the Mrs. when the rare mood struck. My life was comfortably predictable; an exciting weekend meant a Netflix binge a...

"Did you bring those references?" I blink. This conversation couldn't get any weirder. Sure it seemed like an interview. We sat in an office. I tried not to keep adjusting my tie. And she reviewed papers nearly sorted in a small manilla folder. The only clue to the utter insanity of the situation was the lack of a resume. No, instead of my work history, she perused glossy 8 by 10 photos of my nude body in exacting positio...

Sophia sat upright when she heard the soft sound, the ping of metal. “Who’s there!” she cried out. “Sorry to disturb you. I’m just collecting the trash,” a male voice softly answered. “Nobody is supposed to be in here! I’m under quarantine!” Sophia cried out in panic. “Rest easy. I’m fully trained in the protocols of this ward. I haven’t breached any of your containment curtains. I’ll be gone in a moment,” he answered rea...