Story

Tearing Up the Past A woman wearing dark sunglasses pulled a blooming rose bush directly out of the dirt and dropped it onto the lawn. She turned toward an elderly gardener kneeling on the grass and pointed sharply at the garden bed. She demanded that every single plant be cleared from the property before her … Read more

Standing His Ground A construction supervisor tapped his hand against a white pickup truck, unrolling a set of blueprints onto the hood. He pointed across the grass toward an old wooden porch, telling the home’s owner that this was the third and final notice. The highway project required the entire plot of land, and every … Read more

A Ripped Boarding Pass At Gate Three The gate agent slid her fingers under the blue paper pass and tore it straight down the middle. She dropped both pieces onto the white counter between them. Behind the man in the grey hoodie, passengers lifted their smartphones, aiming cameras directly at his back. He stood motionless, … Read more

A Commotion On The Sidewalk The pharmacist gripped the young boy by his forearms outside the storefront door, prying his fingers away from a white plastic pill bottle. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he clutched the bottle to his chest. A man wearing a brown kitchen apron stepped through the doorway of the adjoining … Read more

A Tumble on Cold Tile Two heavy hands shoved against the worn fabric of a green jacket, sending the bearded man sliding across the stone floor. His wooden cane clattered down beside him, rolling toward the gray wall. The elevator doors slid shut, sealing the man who shoved him inside the metal cab. On the … Read more

A Tangled Fledgling in the Dirt Black plastic mesh pinned the young hawk’s belly firmly against the dry dirt at the edge of the crop row. Its yellow talons dug into the loose earth, clutching at nothing while synthetic strands crisscrossed over its back and chest. Each small twitch of its wings only drew the … Read more

A Sudden Commotion In The Pasture Two working dogs planted their paws in the mud, throwing their heads back and barking directly into the camera lens. Just behind them across the damp grass, a white lamb dangled upside down, its hind legs kicking wildly in empty air. The animal’s small torso was wedged tight between … Read more

Caught In The Mesh The small donkey kicked its hind hooves against the dirt, tangled across the plastic netting along the orchard edge. Its chest pressed hard against the colorful mesh barrier. Each attempt to pull forward tightened the grid around its belly and hind legs. A few yards up the dirt track, an adult … Read more

An Overturned Vehicle on the Shoulder The golden retriever pressed his front paws against the man’s flannel shirt and barked into the rush of highway traffic. Beside them, an overturned sedan rested on its crushed roof, wheels pointed toward the overcast sky. Gravel crunched beneath the man’s boots as he attempted to sit upright against … Read more

An Unexpected Roadblock Four paws planted firmly against the cracked asphalt as the dog squared his shoulders directly in front of the rumbling bumper. The heavy rig ground to a halt just inches away from his golden coat. Captain Miller threw open the cab door and dropped down to the street. Instead of running off, … Read more

A Sudden Interruption in the Subway A commuter thrust his finger toward the elderly musician’s face and shouted into the crowded station corridor. The elderly violinist, wearing dark sunglasses and a thick scarf, lowered his bow for a brief second before gently drawing it across the strings once more. Passersby hurried past the tiled subway … Read more

Dismissed on the Sidewalk A man in a navy suit leaned over an easel set up on the concrete sidewalk and waved his hand. He gestured at the wooden tripod blocking part of the walkway, instructing the elderly painter to pack up his equipment and vacate the space. The painter sat quietly on a folding … Read more