Late afternoon on a Thursday morning, the office hummed with activity as it did most days. Shuffling bodies, conversations in low tones and the drone of frustration permeated everything. Riva took a sip of coffee from the cheap Styrofoam cup on her desk and grimaced. Nearly cold, the swill tasted even worse than when it … Continue reading Fostering Hope
Several weeks had passed. Avery had finally begun to relax, sleep without wakefulness and keep from looking over her shoulder everywhere she went. Today, she’d even been brave enough to stop at her favorite coffee shop on the way to work. As she stepped onto the sidewalk, she sipped the latte she held, closed her … Continue reading Alien Abduction III – The Return
When she came to, finding herself in her own bed and the room growing light with the rising sun through her window, the sigh of relief came with force. It had been a dream; only a dream. Still exhausted, due to the fitful night she must have spent, she reasoned, it would be a heavy … Continue reading Avery’s Awakening – An Alien Abduction Part II
Heart pounding so loud it threatened to burst through her chest, she quickened her pace, grasping her store bag with the books inside in one hand, ready to swing if needed., and her keys in the other, ends protruding between her fingers the way she’d heard from a friend years ago who’d taken a … Continue reading An Alien Abduction
Light snow had begun to fall. Gloved hands clutching the wheel, Shea lay her head on the steering wheel and sighed, loudly. She lifted it quickly and let her gaze sweep the area. In the parking lot of the trendy restaurant, it wouldn’t be good for anyone to see her. People could have such a … Continue reading A Christmas Solo
A light snow had begun to fall. With determined consternation, Edith stepped into the hallway of her small but comfortable home. She hadn’t missed Sunday morning church in many years — except that once — and she didn’t intend to start now. It might take her a bit longer to make the walk in this … Continue reading The Christmas Angel
It had begun to snow. Thankfully, it hadn’t affected the sidewalk enough to make walking in heels treacherous. Still, she adjusted her scarf, pulled her coat around her, and quickened her pace. Her building, its glass doors allowing the lobby light to spill onto the sidewalk, was just ahead on the left. … Continue reading The Gift
Every part of his body hurt. He got up and padded across the room into the bathroom. Leaning close to the mirror, he stared at his reflection. There was a small cut over one eye and it appeared it might turn black. Some bruises would likely appear before long, but maybe not. Who was that … Continue reading The Christmas Craftsman
It was one of those mercilessly cold nights; the kind where the air is so still, everything is clear and crisp. In the cloudless sky, the moon glowed bright and fuzzy, surrounded by a dark blanket, peppered with visible stars. On either side of the highway, as far as the eye could see were pastures … Continue reading A Heavenly Hitchhiker
Grace loved this time of year. Maybe it was her imagination, but it just seemed to her that at Christmas time, the atmosphere was a little warmer, people were a little friendlier and everything was a little brighter. She had come in for the milk she’d promised her mother she’d pick up on her way … Continue reading A Christmas Prayer
Lisa Greco Filali 