Betsy stayed behind to watch the house, while the others got into Howard’s van and headed to the hospital. When they arrived, they asked about Joe Peori. An EMT at the scene told them, “It’s touch and go for now, but he’s being cared for.” The men waited anxiously in the waiting area for five ...

Sawyer, looking flustered, hurried Howard and Jeremy out of the van once they parked. “The police chief called. They found someone else’s fingerprints on The Sea Monkey’s wheel!” he yelled. “Saw, calm down,” Howard said. “How can I be calm? Some slimeball used my precious boat for a heist!” Howard patted his friend’s back and ...

After Howard and Jeremy closed their store for the day, they drove to Love and Locket Jeweler’s, run by Mrs. Johnson. When they entered the shop, they saw her daughter, Wendy, at the counter. “Hello there, can I interest you gentlemen in anniversary gifts?” “We’re actually here to ask you a question,” Howard said. “Jeremy, ...

“Ridiculous! Sawyer wouldn’t steal!” Martha Benson declared. She slammed down a spoonful of mashed potatoes she was serving onto Jeremy’s plate. “We said the same, but this Pickiner guy won’t listen.” Jeremy wiped a glob of potato off his shirt. “Why go through that for a fancy rock? He thinks that wedding rings are an ...

An hour later, all five people were at the police station, talking over one another. “He is a thief!” the thin man exclaimed. “I swear on my life, I’m not!” Sawyer yelled. “Sawyer’s an honest guy; he’d never steal!” Jeremy said. “The evidence says otherwise,” the tall person said. “A gemstone falling out of a ...

The gray morning sky clouds hovered over Nantucket. Howard Benson, a local fishmonger, drove down the street to his family’s shop, Howard and Son. Jeremy was already waiting for him. He and his father caught local fish for the store with help from Sawyer, a family friend who owned a boat. On Tuesdays, it was ...

Every movement is necessary for my survival; to stop, even while sleeping, would be certain death. Some can lounge along the reefs and chat amongst themselves without fear. I don’t envy nor despise them, for we all make the best of what we’re given in this strange world. Behind me, hitchers stick to my back ...

                        Ebony shadows gather in darkness                                     Most by swimming, some by walking                                     Gulping snakes slippery and soft                                     Wriggling fingers freed from hands                                     Disgustingly mysterious, fascinatingly stomach-churning                                     Creatures seen, but never unseen                                     Brought to light through no fault of their own                                     Squirming their way into our thoughts ...