The house we lived in was a remodeled barn. It felt more like a barn than a home. We were the animals.
Home is Not Where the Barn Is
Las Meninas
The Spencerville Police Department gave Rachel Velázquez a retirement party with a cake and a poster-size reproduction of Diego Velázquez’ painting Las Meninas, Ladies in Waiting. It was like the post card sized print she’d kept on her desk for eighteen years but bigger. She’d bragged to everyone that she was Diego’s descendant. She wasn’t. She had the print for another reason. She’d stare at it, imagine herself the king’s daughter at the center of the picture. Safe from any danger, flanked by her ladies in waiting, surrounded by her entourage.
Organoleptic Cacophony; ginsenoside; cemetery of crooked proboscises
Silence does not exist: Faced with (im)possibility Things that My body Speaks to me, Usually whispers, Are now made screams.
An Encounter with the Knockers; Misled by Piskies; A Misadventure with Spriggans
His strange adventure to his wife he told; not disbelieving was she. 'Piskies are they', said Elowen to Tom, 'from time of old.' - and Tom was Piskie-led - as some still say. It's harmless mischief - but - so they don't scheme - and bring good luck - leave out for them some cream.
No Lifeguard on Duty
Most of us had known each other since kindergarten. But next year destiny would lead us all to the junior high. We knew life would be different. The junior high school was regional; there’d be other kids, kids we didn’t know, which would change everything. But for now, we remained together.
A Winning Loss; The Prepossessing; Morality Illuminated; Sterilized Nature
Left with understanding The self-servers will always be fed