"Sadie and Me" by Al Bell A man well into his ninetieth year could not possibly start each day with a stunning young female contentedly on his lap. Think again. My steaming coffee eases me into the day. I am mesmerized by the leaves of our lush Sissoo tree shimmering just outside the window in …
Tag: short story
Necessary Numbers (w/audio)
Audio length: 3:48 I need to see you after class, she said to me. More curious than nervous, I did as she instructed. You’re really good with numbers; you should consider a profession that involves math. I said thank you outwardly then cringed inwardly at the thought of that. She found me out and took …
He Sketched Her ~ IV (flash fiction)
Time may have erased his photographic memory, but it did not temper his punctuality. Garreth arrived twenty minutes before the full moon’s expected appearance. He was relieved to find the ten-year-old bench near Pier 33 empty. He had spent the day considering what he might say if he found their favorite resting place occupied with …
He Sketched Her ~ III (flash fiction)
The swishing in her head and the pounding in her chest increased with each step. A decade of sales presentations had taught her how to relax her mind and control her breath, but those skills were no match for the magnetic strength of fate, pulling her toward a man who was creating his future with …
Dreams are Coming for Her (flash fiction)
Two nights in a row, a quick-paced scratching followed by a high-pitched scream was folded into her dreams. Morphing its purpose into fantastical scenes. Scratch, scream. Scratch, scream. Barely detectable or ear piercing – each time the same pattern: scratch, scream, scratch, scream. What does it mean? On the third night the dream escaped her …
He sketched Her ~ II (flash fiction)
She had enough of his relentless demands; one deal barely closed before he expected more. She needed a break, she needed to breathe. He said he’d return quickly with the next sales lead. She quietly told him to “Fuck off,” then she slammed through a side door. Modern metal smacking historical brick. The building exhaled …
He sketched Her (flash fiction)
His sketchbook held thirty-six sketches of the moon, full, and thirty-three sketches of her, a woman unknown. This night would make it sketch thirty-seven since he began drawing curves, just of the moon at first, then of her. His hand sketched her as fast as his mind created her. She arrived during a night when …
Unwrapped (flash fiction)
Christmas Eve encore post The sadness that began in her core was now undulating through her body. Spreading slowly, like lava, it invaded every nerve, cell, and vein contained within her frame. She tried to outrun the feeling by filling up her day with distractions… a donation drop-off, lunch with a colleague, a cocktail with …
Story time (video)
Like many people, my love affair with words and stories began with picture books. An adoration that has never left me. I am grateful to my mom for reading to me and my brother before we started kindergarten and to my first-grade teacher for calling on me, frequently, to read aloud during story time. Those …
Don’t be so UPpity
Lips adorned with Ruby Woo make a statement with their style (not their substance). They speak only polite whispers, as to not offend or draw attention to. Like words selectively spoken, at a formal dinner the correct fork is carefully chosen (without hesitation). To not know the difference between a dinner fork and a fish …
My Inspired Life 