Pain rose and crashed over Esme like powerful waves hitting the shore. The swells advanced, bigger and faster. She fought against the desire to join in Tammy’s sobs, which rose from below in a long, unbroken stream. Her cries had become steadier and louder over the last hour as the water continued to rise, announcing ...

The city of Tucson took on a surreal atmosphere in the wee hours of the morning. I loved this side of Tucson because it was like being transported to another world when I got off work at 2:30 AM. I hated the 5 PM rush hour traffic drive to work. But the streets took on ...

Pale grains of sand arced in the humid air behind Sophia as she ran. The closer she got, the more jagged pieces of metal littered the ground. Dodging debris, she hurried forward until she could see no more safe places to step. Sophia heaved a great sob as her body expelled her frustration and grief. ...

The shadows are moving again. Are you afraid?

“Well, that about wraps it up, sir.” The young officer shut his notebook and returned it to his front shirt pocket, offering a curt nod as thanks. “Wait,” Marcus said. “Do you know anything? How did this happen? What’s the plan? My wife and two kids were inside–” The policeman lifted his palm in a ...

Esme’s vision narrowed, shadows pushing in from all sides. Her heart galloped and flailed at her ribs, almost as if it wanted out. She knew she was hyperventilating, but wasn’t able to catch her breath. She tried to remember the breathing exercises her therapist had taught her so many months ago, but panic drew a ...

Beware the woman who patiently waits...

Sobs ripped through Sofia’s chest as she fell back into the hot, white sand. Mama and the babies were inside. Inside. Dad was still at the pool when the concrete mammoth slammed to the ground. The beach was full of people. She couldn’t focus. Wails and shrieks swirled around her, muffled and distant. The guy ...

“So, Derek, first you want to heat the pan to medium,” said the lady on the TV with the too-big hair. Simon watched through dull eyes as she plopped a large saucepan onto a stove and lit the flame.  He pulled at the scratchy T-shirt his mom had given him to change into. Bright green ...

Esme stared out at the water from her poolside lounge chair. She remembered loving the wicker seating when she found The Paradise online, but now the rigid weave dug into her thighs. She sensed Marcus’s eyes boring into her from a few chairs away and refused to look at him, her grip tightened on the ...