All Stories

The sun crisps all it lights. Flora shrink and curl. Fauna pant in the shade.

The girls, not yet seven, brave the desert in pursuit of quartz, amber, and basalt with which to fashion their art.

Making noon, Mom rings the bell then cries, “Halloo.”

She watches while the boys and their father shuffle from the barn then yells again, “Halloo lunch.”

“Where’s Nooni and Loodia?” asks Father while he washes.

“Run fetch the girls, you,” says the Mother to the ether but the boys know she means them.

The buzzards, crows, and ants are already at lunch with the girls.

“Just this,” her coach promised, holding her at arm’s length. “You have to win just this.”

He said, “I want you both to win. Make me proud.”

It was at times like this that her fear for him surfaced, when she remembered his hand raised to strike her. She swallowed, and set off with her brother.

Then they announced the pairings for the games.

Thunder crashed in her ears.

She would be playing with her brother, and it didn’t matter who won. One would have failed him, and he would blame both for it.

She could already feel him hitting her.

I asked Harold to scatter my ashes off the cliffs in Dover, but he’s gone and put me in a vase on the mantelpiece instead—the stupid bugger. I know why he’s done it; he can’t stand the thought of me dancing the Jitterbug up there in the stars with Joe.

He always hated it when Joe gave me all that attention. Of course, he couldn’t say so—not in those days—not even when Joe got killed. I reckon the only reason he married me was because it was the closest he could get to holding Joe in his arms.

I sat in my car. I was supposed to be dead. At least, my wrist said so. October 16, 2024. I looked at my phone. October 17, 2024. I drove to my sister’s house. She answered after the second knock. “Sorry, I’m not interested in solar panels or finding Jesus or whatever you’re trying to sell.”

“Very funny, Cassie. I’m supposed to be dead. Look. My wrist says yesterday.”

Cassie took a step back. “Do I know you?”

“I’m your twin brother.”

“I believe you’re mistaken. I don’t have a brother.”

“Cassie!”

She backed up another step and closed the door.

Tessa wove in and out of traffic. If Dave beat her home he’d be suspicious, and she didn’t have enough makeup to cover what happened when Dave got suspicious.

Shoot! She shouldn’t have gone to see Toby. She’d felt so comfortable with him. Tessa glanced at the clock on the dash, cussed, and honked the horn as she sped past cars in the emergency lane.

Tessa’s car skidded to a halt in the driveway. She rushed to the door and dug in her purse for the house keys, but the door opened before she could find them.

Suspicious Dave was waiting.

“Interested?” He shoved the mobile at her. “Top of the range. Cost a bomb in the shops.”

“I know, I’ve seen them. Why offer it to me?”

“You have money.”

“Where did you get it?”

“Tricky question.” Said with a gappy smile. “Things come my way. I sell them on.”

“Stolen then. Still, I am tempted.”

“Call it fifty.”

“Let me see.” Snatching it from him she could see the mark where Tom had dropped it. Her instincts were right.

“The money?” A grubby hand reached out.

“In your dreams, idiot!”

“We had a deal.”

“And you had my son’s phone.”