Bianca J. Cook 
An Inspection of the Red Classic Car Bright overhead spotlights cast wide white reflections across the dark tiled floor of the showroom. Several polished vintage automobiles stood parked in neat rows beneath the tall industrial ceiling. A man with gray hair and silver eyeglasses walked slowly toward the front display area. He wore a faded … Read more
An Unexpected Encounter In The Marble Hall The grand lobby featured polished marble floors and tall stone pillars under bright lights. Several employees in business attire walked quietly across the wide public corridor. A modern metal detector stood near the main entrance alongside glass security turnstiles. Suddenly, an older woman with short gray hair approached … Read more
A Creased Flyer on Checkered Tile An elderly man in a brown tweed blazer smoothed out a wrinkled piece of white paper between his fingers as he stepped onto the checkered floor of a downtown Atlanta barbershop. Clippers hummed across buzzing stations while Darius set aside his broom handle and looked up from sweeping stray … Read more
A Line Drawn on Black and White Marble Eleanor raised her right hand flat between her two grown sons, stopping both men mid-stride on the checkered foyer floor. Neither son took another step forward. The brother in the dark charcoal three-piece suit kept his jaw clenched tight, his fingers curled into stiff fists at his … Read more
Shearing Through Antique Lace Metal scissor blades slid through the delicate threads of an ivory lace gown, parting the floral pattern with a crisp snip. The young woman held the fabric taut in one hand while working the shears with the other, her lips parting as she muttered that the garment was old and needed … Read more
A Public Humiliation at the Register Jessica thrust her index finger toward the conveyor belt, ordering the white-bearded man to put his groceries back. Her eyes narrowed as she scolded him for miscalculating his total and holding up the line. The older man held an open leather wallet between trembling fingers. He tucked his head … Read more
A Stranded Horse Along The Open Desert Road An empty two-lane highway stretched toward distant red sandstone mesas under a pale morning sky. Low desert shrubs and dry yellow grass bordered the asphalt shoulders on both sides. The morning sun cast long shadows across the cracked surface of the roadway. A brown mare lay directly … Read more
A Slap on the Counter A woman in a sharp white blazer threw a royal blue dress across the polished marble counter. The fabric slid forward, exposing a dark burgundy wine stain spreading along the lower hem. Jess, a twenty-year-old cashier balancing full-time register shifts with nursing school classes, looked down at the garment. She … Read more
A Lone Invitation Outside the School Doors A young boy stood on the concrete walkway outside his elementary school, gripping a folded sheet of white paper with both hands. The printed header read ‘Breakfast Invitation!’ above handwritten lines detailing the morning’s schedule. A few yards away, fathers knelt on the sidewalk to adjust their children’s … Read more
A Young Foal Steps Down The Ramp A white transport trailer stood parked along a quiet dirt lane between olive trees. Two handlers dressed in matching grey jumpsuits and baseball caps worked near the lowered tailgate. Rainwater had settled across the stony ground, forming a wide puddle beneath the metal ramp. Soft daylight illuminated the … Read more
A Sudden Loss on the Concrete A stranger reached down and pried a worn, tan teddy bear straight from the sleeping man’s curled arms. The man on the ground did not stir at first. He remained curled sideways on a flattened sheet of cardboard, his dusty sneakers resting against a weathered canvas backpack propped by … Read more
Shattered Glass On The Sidewalk The black-and-white soccer ball slammed directly into the plate-glass boutique display, punching a web of fractures across the pane before thick shards crashed onto the concrete. A few inches away, an elderly man sat on a flattened cardboard box with his knees pulled toward his chest. Glass fragments showered over … Read more