This story is part of a series I’m doing on childhood dreams, nightmares, and distorted perceptions of reality. Some of the stories have autobiographical ties, but they are mostly fiction. And some of the stories reflect fiction I was writing at that age. It might help to consider all of them and how they allContinue reading “They Are in Darkness”
Tag Archives: Mothers
Permission to Administer Corporal Punishment
This story is part of a series I’m doing on childhood dreams, nightmares, and distorted perceptions of reality. Some of the stories have autobiographical ties, but they are mostly fiction. And some of the stories reflect fiction I was writing at that age. It might help to consider all of them and how they allContinue reading “Permission to Administer Corporal Punishment”
Hush, My Daddy
The man settles into his place at the table with his plate full of curry chicken atop rice. Grant is five, and he is on his knees on his chair. Rice is already scattered around his plate, and he has knocked the green beans off. Lucia is sitting on a chair next to him. SheContinue reading “Hush, My Daddy”
Ain’t No One to Give You No Pain
They have been on the road for probably seven hours and spent another hour and a half at stops for lunch, the bathroom, and changing drivers. It’s dark now, and they are northwest of Albuquerque. They started from their home in Corpus Christi two days ago, and they plan to stay in Utah for aContinue reading “Ain’t No One to Give You No Pain”
The High C
Lani is a concert-level soprano 1 who passed on continuing her music career to start her family with Rob, a Coast Guard lifer. The young man’s mother has known Lani since childhood, and through quirks of circumstance–the Coast Guard for Lani and Dad’s law practice for Barbara–the two women are in the same congregation inContinue reading “The High C”
Wicked-Old Boomers
For years, Graham has watched Minecraft videos on YouTube, particularly by Stampie, who has etched out a following in the millions. Graham is eleven now and has begun experimenting with his own content on YouTube. Lauren and the man are working together on dinner in the kitchen. Graham comes in and announces, “There’s a guyContinue reading “Wicked-Old Boomers”
A Present from Muffy
Muffy has long white hair with streaks of gray and black. Her eyes are blue and alert, though she is never mean. She is mom’s cat and sleeps at the foot of their parents’ bed. Her favorite game is to chase rabbit’s feet and, once she has caught them, drop them in her water bowl.Continue reading “A Present from Muffy”
The Primary Program
The boy has the biggest part of any kid in the primary sacrament meeting program. The primary president gives him the script weeks ahead of time, and he spends hours each week memorizing his lines and learning his cues. They have two Sundays of rehearsals, and he delivers all of his dialogue without looking atContinue reading “The Primary Program”
The Boy’s Cat
When the boy was nine, he noticed a large black cat in their Leon Valley neighborhood. It dominated other cats. Sometimes, he would hear intense whining or crying and see the black cat on top of another cat, pinning it in place with his fangs embedded in the other cat’s neck. Once, he saw boysContinue reading “The Boy’s Cat”
Peanut
Their mother parks the minivan in front of a drab building in downtown Corpus Christi. “All right, everyone out. You have to come in and help decide.” “Decide what?” Ruthanne says. “This is animal control. We’re going to see if we can find a new dog.” “Really?!” they all yell. They have two cats. TheyContinue reading “Peanut”
The Living and the Dead, by Gordon Laws 