He sat in the front room listening to rain hit the skylight. Bowls were placed on the kitchen floor to catch the water that dripped from the ceiling. The roof had damage done to it long ago. Never had the time or the money to fix it. Maybe it needed a shingle or two. He […]
He saw her through the screen door hanging clothes out in the back yard. The wind whipped up making the white sheets ruffle in the cool morning air. The young man would just stand there and watch. Her thin body would bend over to pick up more clothes and then stretch to hang them. He’d […]
The gate came unhinged that night; wind blowing on wood; metal against metal; the noise it made. Swinging back and forth while an alley cat moaned and a truck in need of a muffler started up. A cold breeze blew through the windows. He sat in the sun room as he often did at this […]
Unopened letters lay on the leather foot stool in front of the old chair. There was insurance statements, books by Miller and Bertrand Russell, sandwich bags that held cookies in them from a nearby church, and a television remote. All piled on this falling apart foot stool. He’d sift through the items when he was […]
He used to get excited looking at all the lights on 80. Head lights, road lights, lights from restauraunts, colorful neon signs glowing in the dark, tail lights passing him by; flicking burnt cigarette butts out the windows; orange dots bouncing down the road. On occasion he’d sing to himself. Old songs. Songs about beautiful […]
He could hear the hay trucks running down 41 in the early morning hours; sat there with his coffee; light on above the stove. She stayed asleep back in the bedroom. It’d be sometime ‘fore she woke up; night stretched into day for her. And he kept hearing the wind outside, blowing ’round trash cans […]
There was a loud noise from down the hall; people laughing behind a wooden door; some sound, people talking on a radio or television. It was Art Carnery. Art Carney talking to Jackie Gleason about drain pipes. Gleason questioned his expertise in this area, but, Carney seemed to know what he was talking about in […]
Seated on the mattress, trying to listen to noises outside at four in the morning. Different kinds of noise. Cars and trucks going up and down Lincoln Highway. Semis putting on air brakes. A dog barked. The windows were open. He liked the house to stay cold. Curtains blew in the breeze. He just sat […]
There was nobody out there, Chuck said. I looked all over the county for that red Chevy pickup truck like you told me and nothing turned up, he lit a cigarette and opened his thermos to pour a cup of coffee. Did you try over by the river?, John C. asked. Sometimes bodies show up […]
There was screaming down the alleyway. Some high pitched voice ringing out, you killed him. You killed him, a voice with no body to it; just words. All the lights were out ‘cept one. It didn’t shine brightly, just kind of let off a glow as fog rolled in making it harder and harder to […]
