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“Tina, is that you? Oh my God it’s been ages. It’s me,” Lena said. She was carrying an burnt umber plastic tray of General Tso’s chicken in the Chase Mall food court. Tina looked up at Lena with huge eyes. Lena and Tina had been thick as thieves in high school. Tina had transferred in
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Uncle Lawrence was snoring. The twins, Seth and Sam, were pretending to enjoy the game. Freddy was talking to Parker. Parker was scrolling on her phone. Mom and her sister Auntie Jacks were cleaning up in the kitchen. Dad was still dead. And I was contemplating exit strategies.Where was Shona? Ducking out of Post Thanksgiving
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A thin ribbon spooling out of the growing darknessWatching him from the corner of my eyeIn the passenger seat I’m afraid for himAfraid of everythingGlittering his eyes picking up the street lights Afraid if he’ll go to collegeAfraid if he doesn’tAfraid of his friends, his choices Rows trees speed past usI turn to speakAs the
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The sink was dripping. Oliver was snoring. Cookie at the foot of the bed was snoring. On the baby monitor Isabella was breathing peacefully with baby snoring. The whole world was asleep except for me. I dreamt of something, something horrible, horrendous, and gone from my mind as soon as my eyelids opened. I swam
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“Wait how do you spell ‘sincerely’?” Carson asked. “Is there an ‘e’?”“Dude are you high? There are like three e’s and shit,” Frank whispered. An old broad in an enormous hat turned and gave them a look. Hunter had an urge to give her the finger but instead offered her a sheepish smile. He nudged
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Johnny felt cold. Even though the strange vanilla room was warm, Johnny shivered in his jumpsuit. Why was he barefoot in a smooth gray jumpsuit? He had been wearing Vans and khaki cargo shorts and a buttoned-down business shirt this morning. Steve had given him serious side-eye over Johnny’s idea of business casual, but Johnny
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Sun faded sage coverBrushed velvet from fingers after bedtimeOpened under a pastel petal comforterLit by a flashlight and the promiseOf a walled garden blaringBellflower and lilac purpleMagenta primroses with saffron throatsAmong a hush of lamb’s ears like the edges of well-thumbed pages Resting on a crowded shelf in my flowered wallpapered bedroomin my dorm roomIn
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The mangled heir tucked away in the catacombsForgotten insane aunts stowed in atticsEvery family has its mysteries The outward facing dialPlacid and roundOrdered and ordinarySlivered into relateable hunks Yet behind the smooth panelthrashing and twisting, torn needed secretsCaught on the gears’ teeth Pendulum,anchor,wheels,escapementEach member with set rolesin repetitionmoving in rhythmic chaosMarking time
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Mona sighed as she slipped into the corner booth. The sparkly heart red vinyl squeaked as she sank into its depths. Fresno Freddie’s was her official third place. Outside of work and home between her favorite second hand bookstore and library the slip of a greasy spoon was her haven. Mona settled MothWoman’s costume in
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