When John started hiding his current location beneath the stamps, Mary thought it was a lark. A bit of fun that slipped right under the government’s noses. What harm could it cause? That was before Mrs. Collier discovered her German boarder, Albert, was a spy. He often sat alone in the parlor, nursing a broken ankle, while Mary dashed from one chore to the next. In her ease with him, she’d become careless, leaving the letters strewn about. Even carrying…
It started that lonely, dark night when Eunice showed up with a deck of Uno cards, shuffling them like a professional. We were all transfixed by the movement as she dealt everyone a hand. Later, drunk with happiness and stuffed with popcorn, Margret won. We demanded a rematch, and that’s why, years later, we still meet, hoping to beat her. Paula came close once, Eunice, too. This time, it’s between myself and Margret. I slap a yellow four down. She…
The parking lot was empty when I arrived, its single light flickering in the inky darkness. Windshield fogging, I wipe it clean with the cuff of my hoodie, and kept driving to row 10. The instructions were explicit, and I followed them. Desperate, I ignored everyone’s warnings and now, here I am, in the middle of a deserted parking lot in the dead of night, freezing while I wait. Headlights blind me as they drive up. Windows down, breath ballooning…
Dear Reader, What a month it’s been! At the end of November, I crashed — and hard. I slept in far more than was normal for myself and struggled to sit at the writing desk and concentrate long enough to put coherent sentences together. It was a strange feeling to need a vacation after a month of digging deep and writing my heart out. I’ve taken part in National Novel Writing Month since back in 2009, and I never recall…