SHORT STORIES

The Hermit and the Cloud-Folk

A man of the Land witnessed the Cloud-Folk, yet none believed him and thought him to be an oddity of little wits and fewer teeth. Even he did not believe the wondrous sight of the thousands of minuscule people falling, like iridescent hummingbirds in one instant, or glistening dragonflies in yet another.

The Clubhouse Supreme

The Fateful Four

The Yesterdetective

The Yesterdetective

“Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there.” The man behind the desk closed the folder in front of him. The girl hesitated, her hand still on the doorknob. “I …” “How’d you get past my secretary?” She froze.

Kindred Spirit

Alma. Just the name sent a warm wind through him that made his heart flutter. He didn’t know a thing about her, not even what she looked like, but as he stepped through the gate and stood looking up at the grand house, a comfortable certainty filled him.

Poems and Penitence

Juvie wasn’t hell. It was bearable. Barely. Everyone—her momma and her sister and kids from school who’d never given a damn about her before—had approached her with shining eyes and earnest voices, telling her to be careful, keep her head down, don’t get on anyone’s bad side.

Unfamiliar Haunts

The rust-chewed chainlink fence glowed neon in the moonlight. There were no streetlights on Hearthstone Drive. At least, not on this block.

Land of the Mid-Night Strays

Nantahala, at over 530,000 acres, was the largest National Forest in North Carolina.