The man who grabbed their attention was in his mid-sixties, at least, with a salt-and-pepper beard that reached his chest. He had a full mug in hand like he had just returned from the bar. Kally sniffed and nodded, “Why?” Derrick hesitated. “It’s for a project,” he hedged. “We’re college students.” The man lumbered over ...

They broke down and extended their stay with the doctor. Professor Fraser had taken it well. She sounded mildly peeved at the amount of grading she’d have to do alone. “Tell Maggie she owes me a drink,” she grunted over the line before the connection died and the dial tone took over. Taylor looked at ...

“How old is this piece?”  Kally poked at a sealed bag containing a chipped axe head carved with twining figures that ended in curls or ran to the edges of the metal.  “That,” Mr. Kingsly said while shooing her hand away. “Is a Mammen-style axe head, a little past the period you’re looking for, I’d ...

Derrick, Kally, and Taylor rumbled down the road in Taylor’s truck, dubbed Perseus. With every sharp twist and curve of the mountainous backroad, Derrick wished their destination would appear, or the vehicle would put itself out of its misery and break down. He glanced over at Kally, who was stuck between them and clutching her ...

Derrick was amazed at the quality of the bones. They felt sturdy. The thick sod had kept them perfectly preserved even after the roof of the grave caved in. They looked smaller laid out on the metal slabs under the examining lights. As he assisted Dr. Fraser in lining each set with its appropriate bones, ...