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About ten percent into my revisiting of Kate Cummings’ recorded dead, I am stumped so far by two people. The first is a German man named Ernest (as she spells it). She does not indicate for sure whether that is his first or last name. She does say that he wished her to write hisContinue reading “Two Unknowns”

That night, they are staying with Lauren’s parents in Belmont because the man’s father is on a business trip. They spent the day seeing sights on the Freedom Trail. Tomorrow, they will go to Plimoth Plantation, then stay at their tiny condo in Bridgewater. The home in Belmont is a half duplex–the two main bedroomsContinue reading “Creep”

They are staying in the upstairs bedroom, which has its own A/C unit, a large walk-in closet, and its own door to a full bathroom. This is where the man’s Grandma Hill always stayed when she came for a couple of months each year; it’s where Ned and Jolene stayed when they brought some ofContinue reading “In the Bedroom”

He approaches the man at the white picket fence. The man holds a garden hose and is watering his tiny cut of lawn in Hacienda Heights. “Edgar?” “That’s me. You two are new.” “I’m Elder Laws. This is Elder Smith.” “Ohh. You guys are the zone leaders the other two were talking about.” “We missedContinue reading “Real Gangstas Don’t Sleep”

This is Lindsay Laws, Gordon’s daughter. He wrote this story because of a real conversation that we had when I was twelve (I’m now fifteen) and was struggling with anxiety and suicidal thoughts. I don’t usually like to think about this time in my life, because it was miserable and the worst point of myContinue reading “Is This a Perfect Day for Bananafish?”

For the second summer in a row, Kevin is visiting for two weeks. They are in their new house on Eagle Drive three houses away from a public park. They have adopted Peanut, their new mixed-breed dog. They have a wrap-around driveway that extends from the street up the side of the house and aroundContinue reading “The Thrill of the Chase”

Kevin is five years older than the boy and was their next-door neighbor in San Antonio. He has an older sister in college and two working parents, so despite the age difference, he spent most summer afternoons with the boy and Stephen. In San Antonio, they played backyard baseball, soccer, and war games. Kevin introducedContinue reading “Unbreakable Man”

They usually don’t tract mostly white neighborhoods, but today they have picked a well-off street near Colorado Boulevard. Almost no one is home, so mostly, they are just walking around, knocking, and moving on. The young man feels highly responsible to get Elder Davis teaching since he is still so young in the mission. AboutContinue reading “I Dance”

The man is at MD Anderson. He is pushing his father’s wheelchair through the halls toward a fountain. Lauren is walking beside the wheelchair. “I want you to know something.” “Yeah?” “I finally understand what you were saying about the blessing you gave me.” “I didn’t really want to give you that blessing. I feltContinue reading “The Resurrection Is a Healing”