Dodo was mid-dream when a crash woke her up. Her favorite dress was in the wash. And Oscar had eaten the last marshmallow. Three sour things. All before breakfast. Dodo roared  so loud the milk jumped off the table. She did the unthinkable. ‘Naughty little girl,’ said mum and shut the door. Dodo clenched her fists and stuck out her tongue. ‘I’m leaving!’ she shouted. ‘For something better!’ she puffed. But where to go? Dodo looked outside the window. The brightest idea came t

Luca jumps down the front steps, two at a time. Monday morning, time for school. The air is crisp and smells like autumn. What wonderful, delightful things will he see today? Just around the corner, he meets… A GIANT! Mr. Goldwin hurries past. A tall office building sits on his shoulders—with windows, antennas, and fast whirly doors. Two phones hang where his ears used to be, ringing and ringing. Above him, high up in the air—a dark, scary cloud. Luca calls out: ‘It's sunny t

Jerome Lancaster had fallen out of love with life over the course of 3 years, little by little and then all at once, the way safety pins disappear around a house. You don’t worry as each one goes missing… not until the day you really, desperately need one. Him being here, 5000 miles away from home, in the Merry Cemetery, was nothing but a testament of love for his wife, Olivia. It was she who always had a particular interest in tombstone tourism and he just played along, maki

‘Come walk with me to the river,’ says June while gently pinching Dodo’s cheek.   But Dodo does not fancy this idea. The couch is cozy and the screen is full of stories. ‘How long is the walk?’ she asks her grandmother. ‘Just right. One hour. Long enough for the sun to say goodbye and the moon to say hello,’ answers June.   Dodo sighs, slowly dragging her feet. Her grandmother stops in front of every house and greets all neighbors with a smile. ‘How long is one hour?’ Dodo wo

Judy watched Friedrich held the tiny furry creature as a mother might cradle her newborn. She giggled and ran her fingers through her hair. There was something both confident and vulnerable in his movements, and she felt a little awkward looking at him—like catching someone in a moment too private to witness. Many of the animals brought back to the shelter were abandoned frail strays who had suffered trauma, one way or the other. Some were, initially, in a constant state of h

A short story in 4 Acts Act 1. The Studio The truth of the matter was I had never seen him face to face. Which made things worse with the...