Category: Fiction
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Emulsion Plastics CEO
James Penrose, CEO of Emulsion Plastics leads his company into a new year of growth and affluence.
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RDF Plastics
Looking into the mirror, he saw the reflection staring back at him and thought about saying the infamous line, what are you looking at. Instead, he chose to smile at the audacity of that particular thought. “You’re being ridiculous. Everything is going to be fine. Smile. Nod. Shake hands and walk out. That’s all you…
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Customer Service
Chewing the inside of her lip wasn’t helping. Not with the couple in front of her screaming at each other about their financial position. “YOU! THAT’S THE REASON WE ARE IN THAT STUPID HOUSE!” she screamed. “And now?! Now, you want to move us over halfway across the country. Are you crazy, I’m just now…
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Mysterious Encounters
“No, Geri.” Brenda put her fork down, tines hanging off the edge of the plate. “Not again. Last time, you wanted me to believe in these little creatures that would multiply if you got them wet. Then there was that time when you thought the mafia bought the abandoned house across the street from you…
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Mrs. Franklin’s Fourth Graders
“Do you dream in color? Or black and white?” Kenny asked Steve, looking from the edge of the Breckenmeyer Bridge. Both boys threw rocks and anything else they could find into the river below. The bridge spanned roughly a quarter mile and allowed one car at a time. But that was long before either boy…
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It’s About Time
“It’s about time,” Molly uttered under her breath. Waiting for a few minutes? That was to be expected. But for over an hour, Molly’s best friend, Shannen, to do her hair and makeup was a little more than patience; that was ridiculous! “Sheesh. What all were you doing, anyway? I’ve been waiting down here for…
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“Who’s in Charge?”
“Who’s in charge? You or me?” That’s the kind of supercharged sentiment that separates micromanagers from leaders. It’s the difference between those who lead by fear instead of inspiring others. Leaders who challenge their people move in the same direction. Together, their team is unified against the odds. That’s a leader who will lead, being…
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One Day in the Cafe
“It’s not that big of a deal,” she said. “I mean, I really. I didn’t. No, I didn’t really want coffee. Not really, anyway.” Ten seconds earlier, she held a precariously balanced iced vanilla latte between her philosophy textbook, a day planner, and a hand-me-down iPhone 13 from her grandmother. Unlike other twenty-somethings, she refused…
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Jim’s Cow
“Do I need to quarantine her?” Jim took one last drag from his cigarette, crushing it under his boot heel. “She’s been like this for two days, right, Hank?” Hank was standing to Jim’s left side, turning out his lip, scrubbing his gums of the loose tobacco, and spitting out the last bits of tobacco…
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Spud, Hanover, Tweed, and Spiner: Tri-Cities Iowa
The Tri-Cities of Hanover, Tweed, and Spiner weren’t always connected. Once upon a time, long before Floyd or Janice could recall, all four cities were independent. Yes, there were once four cities, all connected via the one road separating them, spanning roughly fifteen miles north, south, east, and west. Folks in this part of Iowa…
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Two Weeks’ Notice
“This is your what?” Shelly’s supervisor, Angela, held an unopened envelope in her hand. Angela sat behind her mahogany desk, polished to a shine, making those on the other side of the desk feel uncomfortable, as though they were in the presence of royalty. Unlike most interoffice hard copy full-size 8 1/2”X11” envelopes, it was…
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Floyd Patterson and Janice’s Diner
Floyd complains about lukewarm coffee, sparking banter with Kathy in a slow-paced diner.
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Friend of a Friend
That’s how Brad, Justin, Mikey, Terry, and I became friends. When you are little, think kindergarten or first-grade age, you only meet the people you live closest to. Or you make friends at school and hope their parents can pick you up or drop you off to play. But as you get older, say in…
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Moving Day
Empty. Empty and quiet. I hated it. Then again, I was just a kid who absolutely hated quiet! I loved being around people, all kinds of people. The older the people, the better. At eight, adults were way more interesting than kids my own age. But right now, it was just our family. Me. Dad.…
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Pearls? Meet Blink-182
“Wait, what was that?” Pulling out the earbuds, Gina looked over her shoulder where the sound came from. “Can you please move?” The woman was wearing sunglasses inside, which was the first thing Gina noticed. Second were the extravagant pearls hanging from her neck. Gina saw lots of women wearing pearls in southern California. But…
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Waiting for the Bus
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The boy sneered at the strange man. “I’m telling you,” he repeated, staring at the boy. “That’s really not a good idea.” The boy was standing in front of a store, a big sign plastered in the window. The sign read, “Don’t make faces in the window.…
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From An 80-Year-Old Film
“Take my hand!” His lips mouthed the words. I couldn’t hear what the medic standing over me was saying, and nothing. I tried to get my body to work. It felt like a thousand needles in my fingertips, that same feeling you get when your extremities fall asleep. Or if you lay on your arm…
