And from there, the series of events became increasingly sketchy, the memories like a half-finished puzzle with remaining pieces that didn’t fit anywhere. The barmaid had arrived to take his order, then eyed us both with mistrust. I was already a potential problem, and now here was one of the community’s well-known criminals. To be […]
I held the pumpkin while Xavier drew. Two diamonds for eyes, a semicircle for a mouth, and an egg-shaped nose. “Great job,” I said. He beamed. I nodded to the facilitator, a bespectacled brunette in her twenties. She came over and handed me a serrated knife. “Call me if you need help.” I thanked her. […]
Coal to Burn the World I do not belong here. I, do not belong Belly down against flat earth I, Splinter like sheet glass beneath boots that crack my spine I. Do not belong. I, a feather bed to my own head My Own, very particular kind of madness Lying here, on the ground Life […]
Tucked into a bay on Lake of the Woods’ most northern tip, at the height of summer, Kenora had boasted a population of forty thousand, jumping to forty-five thousand on weekends. The marinas, cottages, and campgrounds around the lake had been packed, the colourful beaches all busy; even the shabbiest of motels flipped their cracked […]