April didn’t want to be here. The air was humid, and chlorine from the pool made her eyes burn. She pulled at a loose thread on her towel, ignoring the conversation unfolding around her. It was always the same, anyway. Hushed voices filled with false concern as they made snide comments about other people’s bodies. Well, now she knew where their daughters learned it. The endless gossip mingled with squeals from the kiddie pool and the lifeguard’s whistle. It might…
The Sullivan household was in an uproar. They’d been in the middle of decorating my evergreen branches when the power went out, plunging them all into inky blackness. Lanky Patrick and his freckled sidekick, George, made eerie ghost noises, eliciting squeals from their older sisters, while two-year-old Edward, who’d stood on tiptoe in his slipper-footed pajamas to add his Bluey ornament, joined the screaming. “Everyone calm down,” said Mr. Sullivan. “No need for hysterics.” “Here, Eddie,” Charlotte said. “I’ve got…
Gran never left the house. Which is why Jacqueline climbed the rickety front porch and batted cobwebs as she made her way towards the front door. While most of the neighborhood was attempting to make cotton look like a realistic web, her grandmother had the real thing. Wind gusted momentarily, and a low branch whined as it swayed. A spider scuttled across a grimy window, and shuddering, Jacqueline used her shoulder to heave the door open. It sprang to life,…
It was too late. Liz hesitated in the doorway for a beat too long before returning the way she’d come. Of course, Joe spotted her, excusing himself from whatever woman he was fawning over. Liz slipped into the bathroom while he begged her to wait a minute. She ignored him and hurried towards a mirror to touch up her perfectly applied lipstick. “Come on, Liz, let me explain.” It was Joe, voice pleading as he pounded on the door. Well,…