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The Colonel and the Cargo

The steamer rattled over the length of railroad tracks, and from somewhere up the train the conductor tugged on a taught rope, causing the whole rig to wail. Fitzpatrick hated the sound. He hated trains in general. He hated traveling assignments, hated the southwestern plains, hated holding U.S. government secrets, hated mysterious cargo and train…

Zero is a Seashell

Steepness and height didn’t rattle me when I was young. We lived near a park dominated by a massive concrete slide. At its base were always cardboard scraps to slide on. We never brought our own. It was exhilarating, hissing over smooth cement until your speed approaching the end forced your eyes shut. 

For Those That Want It

Patrick Trotti Stacey stared at the blank screen of her cell phone in her right palm. In her left arm was her baby. The living room was dark except for the iridescent glow from the small television in the corner. The phone was one of those flip ones that she bought at WalMart. It was…