Author
Lee Hallison
Dance the Light Fantastic
Despite the static glare of the vid-screen, the station's com-room was gloomy and dank. I hated coming here to talk to my brother, but he insisted on our weekly chats. Weekly nagging, to tell the truth. "Please don't!" Static blurred his face. I nodded, not intending to comply.…
All Thinking is Canceled for Today
Yeah, I know I'm in here 'cause it wasn't funny. You've told me enough times to fill a barf bag. Hey, quit it, that hurt. You ain't supposed to smack me. I got rights. Ain't someone on the other side of that mirror watching? Yeah, we was smokin. We're old enough, don't be so…
Such Days Deserved
The Empty Lot on Annie's block was hot and dusty-dry in the summer, luminous with possibilities. Spiky shrubs caught bits of litter, strange jars and cans nestled among pebbles and behind rocks, and grownups rarely came by. Magic happened all the time. She unearthed a real…
Wildness and Wet
Faint music stirs the night and trickles through the sheer curtains into Leah's room. She looks up from her book when the street outside explodes into sound. Heart pounding, she pushes up the open window to watch a wild dazzle of zebra-like dancers. She leans out to better see…
Taking Care of Ma
I stood in front of Ma's door and shifted the packages to get at my key. Before I could reach the lock, she opened the door. As usual, she didn't say hello, just turned and hobbled back to the living room. "Ma, I have a key!" I said to her back. She set her cane against the…
Guaranteed to Work
The day Ruth met her fairy godfather started out poorly. She sat across from Frank, twisting her cup between her hands. "Yesterday was our anniversary," she said, watching the coffee swirl. "Now it's my fault? Don't recall you remembering." "I didn't say it was your fault." Ruth…
This Life
Hope grabbed at the railing as the surge of people pushed her off-balance. She hung on as she made her way down the rain-slick subway stairs, exhaling with relief at the bottom. The crowd carried her into the station, where she stuck her token in the turnstile and headed toward…
This Life
Hope grabbed at the railing as the surge of people pushed her off-balance. She hung on as she made her way down the rain-slick subway stairs, exhaling with relief at the bottom. The crowd carried her into the station, where she stuck her token in the turnstile and headed toward…