So many travelers pass through the property that Kayla hangs talismans in the trees to keep everyone safe. The more unruly guests are kept in check by Angelica archangelica tucked inside a wire mesh basket placed every two yards. Popsicle stick stars provide the dead with added protection. Kayla can take care of her own,…

Meg's favorite ashtray walked off with the lighter she stole from Vince. She figured it was punishment for picking back up a few bad habits. Meg needed nicotine stat and rummaged through her purse for matches. Out of the recent supply run, the Marlboro Reds were the least toxic item in the house. Meg procured…

Gary was convinced he and The Project were nothing alike. That didn't stop him, however, from moving forward with his travel plans. After weeks of calculations and careful observation, Gary came to the conclusion The Project was punctual and deviated little from the routines that made up any given day of one's life. Like clockwork.…

I could find no other way to dig the hole, so I dropped to my knees upon the sweet decay of the loamy field. With head bent and shoulders ready to work, I scooped warm soil by the armful. Spoils were tossed to either side and I was soon penned in by mounds of steaming…

The grandfather clock told Clementine she needed to set down the tablet, stash her phone in the sock drawer, and unplug from all her well-managed distractions. Though it was May, Clementine made a pact with herself at the beginning of the year to spend one hour a day in solitude. She'd yet to make good…

It wasn't the healthiest pastime to cultivate, but Mary developed an obsessive infatuation with the driver of the #63 she rode every day to work. The bus driver's name was Frank Reynolds, and he grew orchids in a hothouse he built in his backyard. She overheard Frank telling Mrs. Magnano all about it one morning. Mary…

The wall follows me everywhere. I pretend it isn't there, but the startled looks are a dead giveaway. That is, if anyone notices me at all. My voice never carries over the invisible barrier, no matter how loudly I speak. At most, people are aware of my presence by a minty breeze that comes out…

Marti needed a boost. An infusion. A lift of the spirits only a one-way ticket out of Concrete could provide. At some point over the last seven years, Marti realized her life transformed into a series of false starts and messy endings. She'd let go of the reins as she grabbed at one brass ring…

Every afternoon, Gary reserved time to practice his speaking skills. Ideas slammed into each other all day long in his head. He certainly did not lack material. Gary found it difficult to select just the right words to convey what was so crystal clear in his mind. Long pauses and frustrated grunts were as far…