Stories tagged “insufficient patching”

  • Ruinous Words

    I was still staring at the picture when I noticed the door was open and Karen was standing there staring at me. She had never worn much make up but the streaks on her face made her look terrifying. No, it wasn’t the makeup, it was the set of her ...

  • A Pretty Good Counter-Argument

    The door to the bathroom slammed shut, dividing us into separate camps. The picture of us at Disneyland fell off the shelf and broke on the thin carpet. Pirates of the shattered glass. I sidled up to one side of the door. I didn’t want to be in v...

  • The Waiting Game

    Karen closed her eyes, tears squeezing through the cracks. I knew an opportunity when I saw one. “C’mon, let’s just sit down and we’ll figure this out together.” She let herself be guided to the bed. I knelt beside her on ...

  • The Last Vestiges of a Lost Battle

    “Tell him to go away. We can work this out. Together.” I tried to stay calm but memories were exploding inside my head: The warmth of Sabrina’s hands, the sweetness of her mouth. Joey, Karen’s brother, working out in her dadR...

  • The Catalyst is a Lie

    The door flew open and Joey stood there in all of his steroid glory; Zeus come to earth as a frat boy. Karen collapsed into him, crying. He looked like he wanted to tear me apart with his bare hands but he couldn’t do that without untangling hims...