There was a flower Rana liked, and so she built her life around it. At first she only spent time beneath its boughs, enjoying their shade in the summer, and their fruit in the spring, and the lovely color that blessed their leaves in the fall. She could sit beneath the tree for hours, listening … Continue reading The Tree at the Center
Category: Fiction
No Fear
Holland made the clothes he wore that day. He made his own pants and shirt. He didn’t need to. His parents make enough money to buy him fresh clothes. For his birthday, he made a request. He asked for a sewing machine and for the materials he had dreamed about. He had the idea in … Continue reading No Fear
Dress
She bought a dress to wear, in his favorite color — but she wore it only once.
“Letters,” Chapter 4
I've posted three excerpts from this work before: An Excerpt from Letters, or “After Her”; A Second Excerpt from “Letters”; and “Letters,” A Third Excerpt. I've also posted two entries that are related to, but not currently part of, that work: Dinner and An Entry from Birch’s Journal. “Do you want me to stay again tonight?” Birch asked. “I have to … Continue reading “Letters,” Chapter 4
Responsible
Today's entry is short, but it touches on delicate material. There is something she talks about to no-one. It is a thing that she did, or — a thing which was done to her. She makes no distinction between the two, most days. When she does, it is her who is responsible for the action. … Continue reading Responsible
Incomplete
Junette felt incomplete, as though there was a large piece missing right out of the center of her that had never filled in as she had formed within her mother’s womb. It was not painful, not like a cut or burn or abrasion, but it was uncomfortable, like when something’s pressing on your chest and … Continue reading Incomplete
No Word for Goodbye
In a public space, like this café, there was no real privacy. At any moment a person that they didn’t know could view them, sitting there together, sharing their time. If someone made the effort, he could lean over and hear the contents of their conversation. Yet of course nobody did: their conversation wasn’t that … Continue reading No Word for Goodbye
Puzzle Box
He opened his chest to show her his heart. She did not react as he expected. Among the line of people to whom he had revealed this part of himself, none had reacted in a positive manner. He was used to polite grimaces, or blank stares, or even disgust and irritation. Most of his partners … Continue reading Puzzle Box
Part of It
She wanted everything to be perfect. Not in life, or in everything, but just for this one party. If she could make that happen, maybe other things would start to follow. Maybe, if she made this party go well, she could start to make the rest of her life go well, too. So Gina put … Continue reading Part of It
Touch Him
We had sex. We didn’t plan to do it. If anything, we actively planned against it. Not out loud, mind — that’s not the sort of thing you discuss out loud, any more than you discuss planning to have sex. No, our planning was furtive and silent, made up of subtle glances and faint shakes … Continue reading Touch Him
Daydreams 