9:00am October 10, 1912 – Austin State Penitentiary Subject – James McAllister, 32, Irish, short and thin with wily eyes. Subject comes in on crutches and sits. He is quite animated. I prompt him to tell me how it happened. I’m the kind of person that can feel things, feel them in my gut before […]Read Post ›
Susan Stars lived alone. She was 41, white, and corpulent. Susan worked Monday through Friday at Vincent’s Hardware, spent Saturdays keeping her yard trim, and Sundays in worship. Susan was predictable, though the word she preferred was ‘dependable.’ She loved yard statues, collected them, and secretly thought her yard should win the local gardening awards. […]Read Post ›
Melvin was 85 and his daughter had tried to move him to an “assisted living facility” many times. She only relented when Melvin swore he would off himself if she did. Melvin trundled to his Buick Regal, gripped the handle, and lurched into the driver’s seat. Melvin swapped his reading glasses for his driving ones, looked in […]Read Post ›
“Liza, I know you’re new to this marriage thing, but trust me when I say it’s better to just let him have his head.” Liza’s mother washed the dishes with her back to Liza. Liza swung her feet against the cabinets. “These things take time. You won’t change him all at once. You have to […]Read Post ›
“Hello, my name is Keith. I am an addict, and it has been 549 days since my last use.” Everyone clapped enthusiastically. He even got a few whistles. He felt her stare from across the room. Keith sat down in the circle. He didn’t look around the circle, just set his elbows on his knees and held […]Read Post ›
“And I’ll have a number seven,” June said. The waiter wrote down her order and moved to the kitchen. Her boyfriend, Leo, sat across from her. He stared at the ground. His leg was crossed and he tapped his foot vigorously to an unseen drum. “You know it’s not a number seven,” he said. “Huh?” “It’s […]Read Post ›
It was well known to the residents of the pasture that the fence was there for their own protection. The fence kept out the beasts of the forest, dangerous weather, and other unseen, as well as incomprehensible, dangers. The fence was there for the resident’s protection. They built it, maintained it, and taught it, “The fence […]Read Post ›
Bradford Windley 