Monthly Archives: December 2018

Cathryn walked into the hospital ward. It was settled into the twitchy hush of a nighttime hospital, its doors an Advent calendar of snores, TV shows, and random screams. Lily was waiting in the common area and instantly magnetized to Cathryn’s arm. “I’m so glad you’re here! Everything is just… weird.”

Cathryn darted her eyes around. Oh, nope, weird is a safe word. “Where’s Henry?”

“He’s over getting to know Matt.” Lily started walking her down one of the halls.

“Getting… what? They’ve known each other for years.”

“Ms. Espy!” The night nurse called from behind and strode mightily after her. “I’m glad you made it. A lot has happened.”

Cathryn flinch-stopped and spun back around to look at her. Continue reading →

All four people in the room peered out the window, trying not to be visible to the suit-monkeys disgorging from the limo down below.

“They have to buzz up to get in, right?” James said.

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Maxim said. “Also I’m going to assume they won’t all take the elevator.”

“How strong are your—” Marcy said, and then she heard sounds of banging metal and breaking glass from below. Continue reading →

“I didn’t know that it was going to work,” Maxim said. The minivan cruised at an urban pace from traffic light to traffic light. “It was just a lark. We’re supposed to include a mountweazel or two as copyright traps. So I put in ‘marycela’ as one and defined it as ‘a lottery winner’. I didn’t tell her! Not until she won the lottery.”

“It was very sweet of you,” Marcy said. “Of course now everybody knows my secret true name. I’ve been Rumpelstilskinned.”

“Turandotted,” James tossed in. “And now nessun dorma indeed.”

Marcy inhaled as if to speak, and then paused with breath suspended as if to keep anyone else from speaking first. Then she said, “I don’t think Karly will be sleeping, with all those cats.” Continue reading →

To: Cathryn Espy
From: Maxim Patryshyn
Subject: definition

Hope you like your dictionary entry. Let me know what you learn.

Maxim

Cathryn read the email on her phone as she sat in ÖL with James, waiting for whoever was in that black limo to go away. She replied: Continue reading →