My grandfather remembered the last Shadow Spring, he told me it happened when he was just a boy. 108 years old and he shared his recollection with me as though it had happened in recent memory. He told it as spry and coherent as he’d ever told me anything.
Category: Short Stories (Page 2 of 9)
I pulled over onto the shoulder in the storm. Pike Pass was dangerous in fair weather. With limited visibility through sheets of pelting rain, I didn’t want to find myself swerving and flipping down a cliff to die. My parents lived just another mile up. No rush. Pulling over was wise. Safe.
My name is Daniel Blairs. I’ve always been Daniel Blairs. Up until last week, I’d had a pretty successful run as a part time author, part time stay-at-home dad.
I dug for what seemed like hours. Hours and hours of clawing through dirt that varied between hard clay and the sort of thinning sand that normally makes its home on river-bottoms. Silt that sifted through my hands down and away as I went.
If you know Jack Fordham in Braden County Kentucky, please make sure he gets this message:
Dear Jack,
I’m not coming back. Please don’t try to find me. I had so many things that I wanted to say to you but I couldn’t for obvious reasons. I didn’t leave this note at the house, that was for obvious reasons also. I hope that one of your friends finds this somehow and gets it to you.
My brother is Officer Jake Swanson. He’d just graduated from the academy…only just earned his badge. He’d begun his first shift with his field training officer when about an hour in, responding to a call from a pair of campers, they went to that house in the woods. It was his first and last day on the job when he made the gruesome discovery that should be national news.
I was alone this Christmas. I was heartbroken when my husband Daniel told me he was driving to Tennessee for the week. His sister and our brother-in-law had gotten a cabin on AirBnB and invited us both to come. Being busiest this time of year, the line of work that I’m in doesn’t allow for time off during the holidays. Just Christmas day and then we’re back at it. Still, I didn’t want to discourage him so I waved him off with feigned elation and wished him a safe drive. He spends so little time with them, it wouldn’t have been right for me to talk him out of it.
Christmas is my favorite time of year. It’s a great time to reflect about how fortunate you are. If you’re thoughtful enough you can spread some joy to others. I didn’t know how to help bring Eric and Sandra joy this year, but as things turned out I don’t think they needed my help after all. They used to live across the street and we were once close. That of course all changed in July.
I would like to start by saying, there are a lot of bad people in the world, but I am certainly not in their company. I am a good person. I recycle, I pay my taxes and I donate to the LGBTQ Youth shelter downtown.