Sometimes, he recalled it during the day and mistook it for a misplaced memory. In it, he was at a city park. The grass shone with life. The blue ocean of the sky hung overhead. The sun suffused every detail. His daughter, Hope, lay on her stomach in the grass…
The conductor was repeating some last minute reminders, but Stanley didn’t hear a word. He was distracted, preparing himself mentally for his next performance. He had always participated in band in high school and he was the first to defend the importance of art in an argument. Plus, this was…
The wall screens blazed with blinding speed as Pat “The Jack” O’Brien and Merlcon the Merciless vied for first place in the Trans-Galactic Scramble. The patrons of Heddie’s Sports Bar shouted over one another as the Jack edged ahead. Annie Worlitzer sat alone in a corner, watching the commotion and…
The bright jingle of bells signaled the day’s first customer. He was a large man, both tall and hefty, with a belly like a basketball that stretched taut his torn T-shirt. Over the T-shirt he wore a leather vest. I could not read his expression beneath the wild beard and…
The three men stopped at the edge of the deep sea trench. Even with their modified bodies, the pressure at this depth affected them. “I will continue alone,” declared Expert Nielhaus. He eyed his companions distrustfully. “Do you understand?” “Yes, expert,” replied Sub-expert Xion. “Overseer?” Nielhaus prodded. “The Mother will…
William paced slowly along the row of graves, reading the names inscribed in the cold headstones. The cool breeze of early spring that stirred the still dead grass slipped through his threadbare coat and made him shiver. At the end of the row, he sighed, looked up at the pale…
The peals of trumpets announced the victor’s entrance into the city. Princess Anna heard them from her room and hurried to her balcony. She could see the gold and white banner of Galandrin, known everywhere in the land as the White Knight. “He has defeated Mowran,” she whispered, her gaze…
Smiling smugly to himself, Caleb tied his laces in a double knot, then sat and stared at his shoes. They were red, shiny as a new penny, with white laces, and a strange symbol on the side, mystic and powerful, like the hieroglyphics in his social studies textbook. “The Jump-a-Thon…
I can’t breathe, I can’t see, I’m drowning. The water presses in on me, squeezes me. It’s cold and getting colder. It’s black. I’m being dragged down, down, down into gloom and deep shadow. The water shudders. I gulp air—it’s gone. I’m being compressed; I’m being suffocated in steamy depths….
When the dust cleared and he regained his sense of direction, Tycho found he was looking at the sky. The clouds lay thick, low, almost motionless. Next to him, Eli was opening the vehicle’s hatch. With a whoosh, cold air rushed into the cockpit. Tycho inhaled a deep draught of…
“Listen up! We haven’t much time. We’ll only have one shot at this.” The cadre of freedom fighters nodded in agreement. Bearded, dark-skinned, their clothes covered in dust, they listened carefully to their leader. “The governor delivered his sentence. Execution.” “Our benevolent leaders pressured him,” another spat. “They don’t care…
Static. “Clint! Clint! Talk to me! Did you make it? Clint!” “…I made it. Oh, man, that hurt. I’m not doing that again, Molly, not ever, not even if the whole Earth’s in peril.” “My ribs hurt. I think they might be broken.” “They are not. Stop complaining. Your ribs…