Monthly Archives: July 2022

The Coroner, Dr. James Harrison, sat at his desk with several piles of notes and reports. He glanced over to the table wishing Mr. Carlson would speak and finish the job. Mr. Carlson didn’t help much. All that was left … Continue reading →

It’s a given that everything, be it mountains, oceans, rivers, plants, animals, and of course, people die. No matter what it is, at some point, it will cease to exist. If birth and death are the only constants, why are … Continue reading →

“The immediate cause of death,” the young doctor solemnly pronounced, “was cessation of breathing.” The older of the two constables sitting across the desk in the doctor’s office said, “Shesh-ay…?” “Cessation,” the doctor repeated patiently, spelling the word.  “When someone … Continue reading →

A Lament from the Duchess of Hauteur On seeing her, I had to pause.Her head was swathed in reams of gauze.The ice was slick,Her death was quick,Concussion was the likely cause.The autopsy was swift and sure,(For death there is, alas, … Continue reading →

It was late one night and I took my dog out for her final business of the day. I waited as she did her usual search for the perfect blade of grass to drench. It was pitch dark everywhere. The … Continue reading →

Ok God. I need a little break here. Can you throw a little good news my way? My retirement fund just sprang a leak. I’ve worked all my life and I just lost a couple hundred grand in a few … Continue reading →

Even as a young boy, Oscar was always pulling pranks on his peers. This desire to place other people in embarrassing situations may have developed because of his name. His parents named him after a distant relative, not the Muppet … Continue reading →

The prowling panthers pose an existential threat to the almost two hundred ostriches inhabiting the colony.  The panthers, in their single-minded quest for food, are indifferent to the fate of the ostriches they are stalking.  The hapless birds represent only … Continue reading →

Life and love weren’t what I expected. I fell in love with a man, but he turned into a monster. He locks me up in the house and won’t let me out. I have no friends, no family. All I … Continue reading →

(This is my entry to round 4 of the FL Weekly.) We’ve all seen them, perched on high wires or rooftops, staring at the world below. Crows congregate in small groups, and when one departs the murder, another quickly takes … Continue reading →

The new regulation will go into effect August 1st at 12:01 AM EST. I have to hurry to beat it. There is no time to waste. I have only 23 hours and 59 seconds of freedom from this rule.  Anyway, … Continue reading →

A gentle rocking motion coupled with the rhythmic clickity-clack sound that filled the air made it difficult for me to wake from what I presumed was a deep sleep. One would assume that returning from my near catatonic state, I … Continue reading →

The twenty-four wheeler left Thunder Bay at seven o’clock in the morning, its driver determined to make Toronto in one day.  Normally, there’d be a stopover in Sault Ste. Marie, a chance for a break in the Soo.  But with … Continue reading →

Kara said it 100 times a day. “When I grow up, I’ll stay up late.” “When I grow up, I can see what I want online and watch my movies.”  “I can’t wait to grow up and do whatever I … Continue reading →

THE BOARDER WHO CAME TO STAY by Diane Hanley 7/14/22 Bridget, came to live in the “Big House,” as I refer to it because of its size.  Both were stout, my house and my new boarder.  I had bought the … Continue reading →

Meander through the gaslight perchance to steal a breath Molly calls a name to an odious regret pull the sheet, wheel the cart … suicide Tuesday The room seemed loud with Nicki Minaj Legal tender passes hands now’s the time … Continue reading →

I often wonder who I’ll be When I grow up. Will I be me? Or shall I soon be someone new? To tell the truth, I have no clue. I can’t imagine staying the same— The little boy who bears … Continue reading →

We had arrived at a nearby airport and we boarded the tourist bus near the terminal. There were no direct flights to this nearby foreign land. Direct flights were banned ten years ago as you recall. I played Swiibbige and … Continue reading →

Marianne glanced down the hallway.  Empty. She quickly entered the little first floor library and shut the door. She sat next to Spencer and whispered- “The coast is clear”. The buildings’ rooming house tenants, except for Mr. X, were all … Continue reading →

I hear the other kids say, “When I grow up, I want to be a firefighter, astronaut, truck driver, doctor….” The list is endless. Most kids want to follow in their parent’s footsteps, but from what I can tell, very … Continue reading →

My father, a monster of a man, was killed late one night outside our backyard shed, and his murder was never solved.  The sheriff, who identified the murder weapon as the blood-spattered shovel found beside the body, eventually put it … Continue reading →

Suzy and Red sat together on the couch of their family’s home, surveying the “keep” pile, deciding what to take to their new condo in an assisted living center.  At the age of 88, they were both healthy but needed … Continue reading →

There would be no extension, no do-over, no second chance. I jogged along the boardwalk glancing back to see the restaurant’s strings of lights slowly fading off in the distance. The lights and music flowed over the beach in celebration. … Continue reading →

This place hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. My parents would take us here for summer vacations. The boardwalk is longer now, and there is a restaurant at the end, but the water, the beach, even the tall … Continue reading →

Inside the cavernous high school gymnasium, festively decorated with balloons and bows, a large crowd of middle-aged people mills about, drinks in hand. An overweight man in an ill-fitting suit approaches a beautifully-dressed woman.  “Gillian?  It’s you, right?  Gillian?” “Yes, … Continue reading →