Category Archives: I Will Erase You

I saw Sherry Anderson my first Sunday at church, and I thought, “She would be perfect.” But not perfect how you think I mean it. She was an eye-catcher, though, and that’s part of what made her perfect for what I wanted. But again, not for what you’re thinking. She was early twenties, the daughterContinue reading “Brian Mendoza, 2”

Brian Mendoza I moved from Tempe as soon as I could. After Adam’s death, I’m sure you can understand. I headed to Texas to be a roughnecker. When I got started in the business, I lived in Houston and mostly worked on drills out in the Gulf of Mexico. Two weeks on, two weeks off.Continue reading “I Will Erase You, Brian Mendoza”

They were soon aboard, with the pilot tied up against the Braziliera. “Let’s go,” said a gruff navy man, and he led them to the commanding officer’s quarters. “Lieutenant Behm, sir, the men on the pilot boat who sought permission to come aboard.” The other sailors had already brought the maps and plans to him.Continue reading “Ezekiel Wallace, 3”

The next night, the five gathered under the live oak just past 10 p.m. They had all wandered in separately, roughly five minutes apart, to avoid being seen congregating or wandering together, but the streets and canals were mostly empty. Master Williams had been considered too old to enlist, so he had been a recruiterContinue reading “Ezekiel Wallace, 2”

Ezekiel Wallace The waters were dark and inky, rolling gently against the docks and rocking the battered, wooden oyster and fishing boats. The air was cool, the night quiet, and he gazed across the dark, moonless horizon, the star canopy arcing toward the rolling, watery oblivion. He breathed deeply the familiar salt air, the fishContinue reading “I Will Erase You: Ezekiel Wallace”

My memories pick up with me sitting on the sidewalk and red and blue lights chasing each other around the snowbanks and gravel. Rob was next to me, and an EMT was asking him questions. A cop hovered over me, and he was talking but all I could hear was Quan. “Dude, we didn’t takeContinue reading “The Gray Lady, 3”

So, of course, with ice cream cups in hand, we all started back out into the sub-freezing temperatures. You could see the river across the street, and a moderate northeast breeze came off the water, biting into my face. “Ma’am!” I called, but she kept walking, and I noticed as she did that she wasContinue reading “The Gray Lady, 2”