Story

A Sudden Standoff Beside the Water The man slowed his pace on the paved trail when he noticed a tiny gosling resting flat against the asphalt. Standing directly over the youngster, an adult Canada goose immediately flared its wings outward, snapping its beak and hissing sharply into the air. The man raised both palms toward … Read more

A Dropped Wallet on the Floor A black leather wallet slid off the edge of a small table and settled silently onto the polished floor of a corporate lobby. A man in a light blue dress shirt walked toward the entrance holding a stack of documents. His eyes caught the dark leather lying near the … Read more

Confrontation in the Kitchen The manager pointed a stiff finger directly at the worker’s chest in the middle of the kitchen aisle. He stood inches away from the man’s face, barking instructions about remaining behind the stainless steel counters and staying out of view of the customers. The worker in the dark canvas apron kept … Read more

An Extra Plate at the Table The waitress lowered two steaming dinner plates onto the Formica table, setting the second dish squarely across from the grey-bearded man. She paused with her notepad in hand, looking back and forth between the two identical servings of steak, roast potatoes, and steamed vegetables. Her brow furrowed as she … Read more

A Secret Meeting in the Shadows Olivia Hart stepped into the dimly lit parking garage just in time to see her husband hand a Manila envelope to a stranger. Her voice echoed off the concrete walls as she called out her husband’s name, demanding to know what was inside the thick packet. Daniel turned around, … Read more

An Unplanned Confrontation at the Garage Sale An older woman wrapped her fingers tightly around the ceramic rim of a large white mixing bowl resting on a driveway display table. Her daughter stepped forward immediately and demanded that she put the item down, declaring that everything on the table was officially for sale. The mother … Read more

A Harsh Encounter in the Hallway A woman in a fitted white dress jammed her index finger toward a housekeeper standing rigid in a black uniform. The housekeeper held a feather duster low against her legs, keeping her head tilted toward the marble floor. Standing nearby, her daughter in a pink cardigan stepped forward, her … Read more

A Broken Promise Across the Glass A young woman pressed her palm against the glass divider inside the visitation room, gripping the heavy black phone receiver tight against her ear. Tears rolled down her face, glistening under the bright overhead fluorescent lights, as her mouth shook with intense distress. She reminded the man sitting across … Read more

A Strained Thanksgiving Setup Ethan reached out and pulled the warm casserole dish straight from his mother’s hands. Lucille stepped back, her hands dropping to her sides as her son handed the serving dish to his wife, Marissa. The main dining table in the adjoining room was set with gold chargers, tall candles, and woven … Read more

Snow fell in steady, heavy drifts across the porch steps of the house in Pinewood Ridge. Shawn stood under the yellow glare of the front light, his breath clouding in the freezing air, his navy suit stiff against the chill. Through the front window, he could see a towering pine draped in gold ribbon and … Read more

Snow fell in steady, heavy drifts across the porch steps of the house in Pinewood Ridge. Shawn stood under the yellow glare of the front light, his breath clouding in the freezing air, his navy suit stiff against the chill. Through the front window, he could see a towering pine draped in gold ribbon and … Read more

A Confrontation in First Class A white handbag swung past the leather headrest as a woman in a fitted black coat planted her heels into the carpeted aisle of the airplane cabin. She leaned over seat 1A, pointing a manicured finger at the seventy-two-year-old woman sitting quietly inside. The elder woman sat in a dark … Read more