For Sabrina, to Her Guys. Prana floated above the silty ocean bottom, shifting her skin color to match its color and visual texture. She spotted a shrimp scuttling along, but she didn’t have time to stop for a snack. Her Teacher had sent for her. She […]
One Revolution
Ronnie took a deep breath. She reminded herself that she shouldn’t be nervous. That Jim was her best friend. And that if she waited, stupid Kristen might ask him first and ruin everything. "So, prom." Jim nodded. "The very first on Mars." "Want to go with […]
A Prom Princess of Mars
For Rona Trina scraped the last can of beans into a pot and lit the sailboat’s tiny antique stove. Alan came down the steps and shook his head. "No fish. Again." He sighed. "There should be fish." He hung his fishing pole on its hook, under one […]
Two By Sea
For Savannah Angry, frozen snowflakes hissed against Derrick’s window. Cold seeped through cracks in his Dad’s stupid, sagging house and gathered around his ankles. He pulled his afghan off the bed and pulled it to his chin. The scratchy yarn smelled like gingerbread and sage incense. Like […]
Finding Christmas
The adults all succumb to the sleep at the same time. Our parents slump, boneless, to the floor. Teachers sag onto their desks, cashiers fall next to their registers, bike couriers tumble sideways and roll. The smallest children sleep as well. Babies curl on their mothers’ breasts, soft […]
We Wait, and We Hope
Stanley initiated a standard scan and watched the numbers scroll across his screen. "That’s not right," he muttered. He stopped the test and restarted it. He stared at the image on the screen. His mind drifted. He reached forward, and jumped when his fingers hit smooth plastic. […]
Feeding the Master
For Dylan, Kiefer and Lleyton I spun in a fast, uncontrolled circle, my mouth guard half-out, my visor cracked, and my own blood floating in front of me in a spray of perfectly round orbs. Gloved hands pulled the heavy, black rubber ball out of […]
Top of the Game
For Daksha and Eesha Maya clutched her father’s hand as he wandered through the fair. New sights, sounds, and smells bombarded her. The scents of fried dough, powdered sugar, hot sausage, and cotton candy warred with manure, sweat, and machine oil. All around, people barked […]
Everyone’s a Winner
Talia picked her way through the shattered revolving door. Singed bills fluttered in the pre-storm breeze as she ducked beneath police tape and took in the scene. The bomb had taken out the vault door and blown half the back wall away. It was impressive work. […]
Out in the Rain
Sosondowah stood by the entrance to the Goddess of Dawn’s lodge and kept watch. He watched the stars wheel overhead. He watched the owls fly silently through the night air. He watched for foes that he knew would never come. The only thing he truly guarded was Dawn’s […]