Fracture

Leila’s stomach clenched as the plane touched down at RDU. It had been a smooth flight, free of turbulence, but storms raged inside her just the same. She had flown down two years earlier for her dad’s funeral and hadn’t been back since. She would have been fine extending that absence indefinitely had it not been for Maggie’s recent call. Leila had heard about their mom’s hip replacement the year before though the broken ankle weeks ago was new.

“She’s been falling lately,” Maggie said, her voice tripwire tight. “I think you should come.”

Left unsaid: you’re the oldest, and this shouldn’t be all on me.

A Life Lesson from Jimi

Tom first heard about it crouching over an illicit transistor built by an enterprising boy in tech class. It was breaktime, he and his mates were tucked behind the outer wall of the gym; their ‘secret’ hiding place teachers turned a blind eye to. 

Each band Radio Caroline announced was met with a choric wail by the boys, because most knew attending the festival was a fantasy. 

Except for Tom...

Billy’s Breakfast

The man was, Molly’s mother might have whispered, “flying low.” He stood by the counter of the restaurant with his zipper down, dressed in a khaki safari suit better suited for tracking rhinos in the bush than eating breakfast in Boston in February. Under his stool lay a violin case covered with stickers that were peeling off. Molly couldn’t tell how old the man was, early forties, maybe.

Stuck at Work

She frowned. Her imagination was too good today – she was walking too slowly. It felt like her feet were actually sticking to the floor. Shaking her head, she tried to take another step. And stopped.

Her foot wasn’t coming up. She lifted with all her might but it wouldn’t move. She looked down and let out a scream.

Her right foot had sunken into the floor up to the ankle. She bent down and grabbed her calf, pulling it upwards with all her strength, but her foot wouldn’t budge.