Everyone was getting stupid in the heat.… more
Darrell stared at the room placard just below the peephole until his sight went out of focus. He made the numbers 404 transform, they shuffled and stretched, elastic, until they spelled out their true meaning as Darrell saw them. A warning: Death O’Death.… more
Boxelder bugs swarmed the cinder block wall at our back while we waited for our ride. A few fluttered, struggling to stay aloft in the thick air, their orange-red wing veins flashing. I cupped my hands, gently caught one. … more
The women had left us when the heatwave began. At dusk, they had buried their heartjars in the earth and walked away. A line of women, mothers and wives, drifted through the valley. … more
This was different than squirrels—revenge not supper.… more
I know he never would have drag-raced Ferraris or had three women massage him in a kiddie pool filled with room temperature spaghetti and farfalle pasta or watch another man murder someone for a few thousand dollars…… more
I came to know them all. I knew them well enough to hate them. Except the artist. I grew to love the artist.… more