Bianca J. Cook

A Sudden Mark on the Red Paint The boy pressed a pointed metal tool against the glossy red door of the sports car, scraping the clear coat as fine white dust flecked off the surface. Crouched low on the asphalt in fraying, oversized trousers and dusty sneakers, his fingers worked slowly across the crimson panel, … Read more

A Sudden Confrontation At The Corner Booth A heavy hand slammed down onto the laminate table, knocking a black ball cap straight onto the linoleum floor. The man standing above the booth was broad-shouldered, wearing combat boots and a sleeveless leather vest that exposed thick, corded forearms. He leaned directly into the space of an … Read more

A Narrow Stone Opening The small grey pup shoved its snout directly into the circular drainage hole at the base of the roadside retaining wall. Its rear paws scrambled against the loose gravel, kicking up dust as its shoulders wedged tightly into the concrete cylinder. Just inches away, the adult female wolf stood tall on … Read more

Pinned Against The Frame The owl flapped its left wing against the wet slate patio while its right wing remained jammed tight inside the metal seam of the glass door. Its yellow eyes darted as its talons scraped across the slick stone, struggling for leverage against the heavy glass panel. Two people rushed through the … Read more

Facing Off in the Private Lobby The woman smoothed the front of her cream-colored blazer and pointed a manicured hand toward the exit. She did not lower her voice. Standing two feet away, a gray-haired man in a faded brown button-down shirt gripped a black leather folder against his side. He kept his feet planted … Read more

A Sudden Strike on the Showroom Floor The salesman slapped the brown felt hat right out of the older man’s weathered fingers, sending it tumbling across the polished white tiles. It bounced once, slid past a set of polished black oxfords, and came to rest upside down beside the front wheel of a brand-new sedan. … Read more

A Sudden Confrontation in Row Fourteen A passenger in a dark sweater and beige trousers walked down the center aisle of the aircraft, suddenly jerking to a stop beside an occupied window seat. He pinched his fingers to his nose, turned his head sharply toward the ceiling, and muttered aloud so nearby travelers could hear. … Read more

A Sudden Slam Against The Table A broad-shouldered man in a black leather vest slammed an old baseball cap onto the laminate tabletop, directly beside a ceramic coffee mug. The white-haired man sitting in the booth looked up slowly from his warm drink. “Get out of that chair,” the standing man barked, planting his heavy … Read more

An Interruption on the Stone Path Her red pointed heels clicked against the smooth stone path as she pressed the phone tight against her ear. She paced past the glass entrance of the luxury complex, her red blazer shifting with every deliberate stride. “They’d better renew my penthouse, today,” she told the phone, her voice … Read more

Bills on the Hospital Floor A young man leaned forward in his wheelchair, slid a folded wad of cash from his pocket, and tossed the hundred-dollar bills straight at the muddy work boots standing in front of him. The notes fluttered through the air and settled across the clean hospital linoleum right beside dried clumps … Read more

The Spill at the Counter An elderly man lifted a heavy glass jar filled to the brim with copper coins and set it down onto the checkout counter. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached inside, pulling out small handfuls of pennies one by one to count his total. Behind him, a young woman in … Read more

A Demand In The Private Wing A slender gold pen pointed directly at the empty corridor as the woman in the crimson suit squared her shoulders. She looked down at the patient resting quietly on the upholstered beige bench next to a vase of white lilies. “This area is for wealthy,” she said, tilting her … Read more