Little Rooms. Trap Doors.
Little Rooms. Trap Doors.
Tales driven by uncertainty, secrets, tension, and the unexpected.
Lonnie lived his life believing he was utterly forgettable, a dullard with average grades, ordinary jobs, invisible in every crowd. When he retired at sixty-five, he quickly got bored and volunteered at the city police station, cataloging old records. One…
Ted muted his TV and cocked his head. “Help!” rang out from outside. There it was again. He pushed his recliner upright with a groan, grabbed his Mag-lite, and headed out the door into the moonless night. He swept the…
She sat alone in a dilapidated booth at the 24-hour diner. She glanced at her watch. Nearly midnight. Where is he? The door jangled as he walked in, a grimace replacing his usual smile. A woman followed close behind, scowling.…
A lone silhouette approaches in the flickering lamplight, a petite, feminine form, skirts flowing in the breeze and high heels echoing across the cobblestone street — click-clack, click-clack. I step out of the shadows into her path. “Oh, my!” she…
She snuggles close to me as we sit on the edge of the cliff, our legs swinging freely above the raging surf and jagged rocks below. Do it now, I think—a slip, a fall, a tragic accident, I’ll say—and soon,…
“Four, three, two, one…” chanted the crowd in Times Square. The ball dropped, fireworks exploded, and everyone cheered. Lilly raised her flute to toast the New Year—relieved to leave last year—and her miserable old life behind. Ready to embrace a…
I knew she was his wife. I knew better than to get involved with her. But I did anyway. She understood me like no one ever had. We shared secrets, hopes, and dreams. She was my soulmate, my lover, and…
He crouches behind the bush and looks through the eyepiece at the majestic lion resting fifty feet away. After tracking this regal beast for hours across the savannah, he finally has a good position and clear line of sight. He…
The doorbell rings a second time, interrupting the still of morning. I’ve been up all night, and I’m tired and irritated. Who is it, JW’s? Mormons? Kids selling chocolate? Go away already. Through the peephole, I see two police officers…
My phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and swiped to dismiss the notification. Time for my meeting with Mr. Grant. I rode the elevator up to the executive top floor, and the pretty secretary ushered me into the inner…
“I love you honey,” I say. He doesn’t respond, but I know he’s still awake. “I love you forever and always.” Still no response. I lean towards him and kiss his cheek. “I love you babe, till death do us…
You wake on the basement cot. Why are you here? How long have you been here? The light of dawn peeks through the window overhead. Betsy, your beloved tabby cat, meows close by. You remember. You came to find her…
I fumble with the phone and lose my grip on the steering wheel as I send a text message to mom. Oh no! I jam on the brakes and spin out of control as my car skids off the road…
I open my eyes. Ghoulish, dark shapes with twisted limbs and spiny leaves dot the vast expanse to the distant mountains. Joshua trees, I think. Who am I? How did I get here? I have no clue. I also have…
The left turn signal light flashed in sync with the rhythmic tick, tick, tick. I looked over my shoulder to the left, then stepped on the gas to merge onto the Northbound State Highway 99 towards Lodi, leaving Stockton in…