Blood from the gunshot spread across the garage floor like a slow moving flow of lava, black against the concrete. The smell of smoke burned Lena’s nostrils. The acrid stench filled the tiny garage. An unfinished model airplane sat in pieces on the workbench, under rows of tools. Lena Grey opened her mouth to scream…

1 Lives behind the lines Lucas folded the paper carefully, pressing his thumb on the creases to make them flat. He frowned when he noticed he had smudged some of the ink, but there wasn’t time to write the letter over again. They were moving out in an hour, and if he didn’t get the…

Alice stood at the window chewing on her finger nail. She watched the traffic snaking around the buildings below. She could hear the movement behind her but she didn’t turn to watch or help. Alice pulled the black flakes of nail polish off of the nail she was chewing on and flicked hem at the…

A gull sat on the wooden piling of the pier and stared out to sea. It was mid-morning, according to Gerald’s watch. The harbor was empty except for the lame boats still moored. The boys on the dock would be getting to them eventually. Blown motors, leaking cabins and who knows what else was on…

Anna sat with her back to the red washed brick wall. Her legs were tucked underneath her chair, hooked around the side as she leaned on the table. She pretended to read the book that she had brought with her, but she stared discreetly over the top of the pages at the man sitting on…

Simon Valerya walked down the street, among the old buildings where they narrowed almost to a point. The looming brick and mortar pushed against Simon from above. He felt claustrophobic. He could not shake the uneasy feeling that dogged him since he arrived two days before. His footsteps echoed through the quiet street until he…

That day, in the middle of March, I could hear the river talking through my bedroom window.  The river behind the farmhouse ran fast in the springtime.  It wasn’t really a river, but for me, it was wide enough to be one. My father told me many times to stay away from the water, especially…

silent unspeakable memories A mist drew breath along the glass face of the lake. Somewhere beyond the hills of pine and birch the morning sun stretched, making its way through the thick dark branches and hidden caves. Another day began in silence. I stood on the dock, naked, pausing only long enough to take a…

1. The garage had been converted into a makeshift bar. A handful of folding tables and chairs dotted the concrete floor. Matilda had tacked up some lines of old Christmas lights that she found in a box in the attic. She didn’t plug them in. There was no electricity to light the small bulbs, but…

Alice tucked herself under the low awning and shook off the rain from her sweater. Heavy drops suddenly began falling seconds before. Alice grimaced. She had run out the door earlier that morning without an umbrella or jacket. She wasn’t in the habit of carrying either, even though she did live in one of the…

II I set the shopping bag down on the floor of the foyer, just inside the door, and pushed the front door shut with my free hand. The house was perfectly quiet. “Hello?” I said loudly. I leaned in and looked around the corner of the short wall into the sitting room. The room was…

note: excerpt from the new “assignment”.. the story continues today with a bit of a re-write and a different scene. from  “Buy My Book” by Leigh-Anne Tyson © 2010 I “You shouldn’t just walk by me. You should read my book.” His voice shot out at me as I turned the corner around the end…