Bianca J. Cook

An elderly man sits quietly at a worn-down diner booth, his hands clasped together in prayer. Before him sits a single, lonely cupcake with a solitary candle flickering in the dim light. His face is etched with the weariness of years, his white beard thick and unkempt. Across from him, a man in a crisp … Read more

A styrofoam lunch tray goes flying through the air, hitting the pavement with a messy splat as an older man stares down a soldier. The tension in the air is heavy enough to cut with a knife. The confrontation starts to escalate — The soldier, dressed in a sharp green uniform, struts toward the man … Read more

A Struggle in the Forest The small deer stands near the edge of the asphalt, its neck cinched tight by the rubber of a discarded car tire. With every breath, the fawn’s mouth gapes wide, its head jerking upward in an attempt to find relief from the heavy, unyielding ring. Its hooves shift restlessly in … Read more

The Standoff At The Red Carpet A security guard grips the velvet rope with both hands, her knuckles white against the dark fabric. She plants her feet firmly, arching her back as she leans into the path of a woman in an emerald green gown. The security guard tilts her head, her eyes narrowing as … Read more

The diner was quiet until a young waiter, his face twisted in pure disgust, decided he had finally seen enough. He stormed up to the table where a scruffy, elderly homeless man was trying to enjoy a simple meal. With a sharp, aggressive motion, the waiter kicked the man’s plate right off the table. The … Read more

The sharp screech of tires echoes against the mountainside as a red car slams into a massive, jagged log blocking the road. A woman behind the wheel gasps, her face a mask of sheer panic as the impact jars her vehicle to a sudden, violent halt. Smoke curls from the hood of the crushed car, … Read more

A Race Against Time The golden retriever claws at the loose mountain gravel, its paws churning up dust as it sprints toward the wreckage of the downed helicopter. The rotor blades are bent and still, tangled among the jagged rocks that scatter the slope. Two men in tactical gear stumble away from the machine, their … Read more

A tense encounter on a commercial flight reveals the unexpected consequences of making snap judgments based on a person’s appearance. A Cold Reception In First Class The atmosphere on the plane was thick with tension as a flight attendant aggressively confronted a man in the premium cabin. She insisted he belonged in a different line, … Read more

A sleek, blue convertible roars down a gray city street, screeching to a halt right in front of a man just trying to do his job. The man behind the wheel looks like he owns the world, his face twisted into a sneer as he leans out toward an older man in an orange work … Read more

An Unexpected Confrontation Under The Gas Station Lights A man in a military dress uniform stands holding a fuel nozzle at a gas pump. He stares forward as three men in tank tops and camouflage gear stand in a semi-circle behind him. One of the men, with a full beard and a grease-stained tank top, … Read more

Tears stream down her face as she stands over a industrial kitchen sink, scrubbing dishes while trying to pull herself together. A man in a vest looms behind her, mocking her for missing a spot on a plate, his condescending laugh cutting through the humid, steam-filled air of the kitchen. She doesn’t fight back; she … Read more

Bears are powerful, incredibly intelligent creatures. Studies on American black bears have even shown they can count. Just the thought of keeping them captive for our entertainment is heartbreaking — but forcing one to wear a torture vest is beyond cruel. Hell on earth Bear Caesar spent the first part of her life in a kind of … Read more