Wiseacre

Red balloons filled the floor of the small kitchen.

Marney’s face was bright, all smile and tiny closed eyes at the surprise flowing out of the tiny space. She reasoned that her father must’ve blown into thousands of balloons.

And there, at the center of the table was her favorite. The aroma almost lifted her petite body from the checkered floor like in the cartoons. Every day was better when steak was involved. The fact that it was her birthday only made the moment more enjoyable.

“Thank you, Dad!” She hugged her father’s waist, her head meeting his round tummy. “Dad have you been having steak without me?”

She jokingly patted his midsection.

Michael Bryant’s face lit up with the same smile at his only child’s wiseacre ways.

“No, but I did take a sample of your birthday cake,” he said with a laugh. “But there’s more.”

Her father quickly donned a pair of

Ratiocination

Ratiocination
1. the process of exact thinking: a reasoning
2. a reasoned train of thought

It was the sound of a television that signaled her transition back into consciousness. Some man was yelling at a woman, calmly threatening her…in German. The dialogue stopped. Only the sound of a leaky faucet echoed within the space.

A slight gust of air felt cold against her wet forehead, causing her to wince. Her head felt like… like someone had used her head for batting practicing; it throbbed to the point that unrelated body parts ached.

She grit her teeth, stifling a moan, resisting her instinct to escape or her need to vomit. Short, long inhalations slowed her heart rate and calmed her stomach, but did nothing for her mind. She needed to escape, but first she needed to know where she was located. The surface was soft against her skin, yielding to the shape of her body like a cold womb.

The dialogue started again.

Slight movements confirmed her suspicions. Cold metal restrained her wrists. Her head was one problem, not knowing her whereabouts was another. The handcuffs threatened her sanity, but it was the slight aroma of gasoline that was nauseating.

“Do you promise to let me go,” the woman asked.

“Of course.”

The distinct sound of handcuffs was followed by the impact of a heavy hand across a face.

The woman screamed. The man erupted with menacing laughter.

Heavy footsteps shuffled toward her.

Melanie’s pulse soared. She stiffened her body, trying to fake unconsciousness, but prepared for another painful blow.

Every breath was heavy, halted even. The pungent aroma of gasoline filled her nostrils. He was over her, chuckling quietly.

Condone

 

Condone
1. to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless

Pat glanced at the clock on the dashboard. On any normal evening it would be 10 minutes to six. But it was Friday, which made it 10 minutes to date night.

The hazy blue sky ran into the orange of the day, cowering under the dark blue of the impending evening. Pat slowed to a stop at the intersection, noticing the red Chevy parked on the street outside of their house. True to her character, Amanda had arrived just a little early to make sure they could leave on time.

They’d hired the 17-year-old seven months ago, based on recommendations from neighbors. Her rates were high, but always seemed a bit more sensible when the laughter and conversation were flowing and there were no little frowns or complaints about spicy food. By the time they entered their quiet, and now tidy home, at the end of the evening, it seemed ridiculous to not give Amanda a tip when all they needed to do was quietly enter the darkened bedrooms to kiss foreheads before enjoying the early night together as a married couple.

Pat pulled into the driveway backwards, preparing the car for their quick getaway and placed his bag in the floor of the backseat before exiting the car. Molly’s cries were unmistakable. The frantic sound mixed with his wife’s yelling and blended with

Umbra

umbra

1.  shade; shadow.
2. the invariable or characteristic accompaniment or companion of a person or thing.

It was strange to see a person who was simultaneously there, but not. Eyes open, fully awake, and yet so distant and disconnected.

His smile was virtually the same, just weaker. Even his strange way of lumbering more than walking down a hall remained untouched, but somehow just seemed a fraction slower than usual.

“Hey, Perry…”

Now it seemed to take a lifetime before he responded, slowly looking up from his book to engage in conversation.

“Yeah?”

Even his voice sounded off.

It was like those movies when

Ataraxia

ataraxia

1. a state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranquillity.

The wind picked up, pushing the small red Fit toward the rumble strips.

Patricia gripped the wheel tighter, glancing in the rearview mirror. Cherubic cheeks and a wide grin greeted her from the back seat.

“Are you okay,” she yelled over the wind within the car.

Peyton nodded, strands of blonde hair blowing around his head.

Patricia surged ahead on I-64 enjoying the deserted patch of highway, while reminding herself that she didn’t need a speeding ticket. She sighed happily, realizing that even if she received a ticket, this would be the first time in years she’d actually be able to

Kanone

kanone

1. a person who is an expert skier.

Kala stared at the swollen mass that no longer resembled her knee. Her skin was a mixture of browns and blues with splotches of purple. Painkillers numbed her senses, but did nothing to diminish the fury swirling inside.

The Times had dubbed her the “Kanone of Kona.” Her family had been so proud. Even her dad had showed the article to his people at his shop. That moment had been the best. But now it seemed like it all happened so long ago.

She was the phenom, the wunderkind from humble beginnings–the slice of Americana that the public drank down like marshmallows and cocoa on a cold day.

And now?

Her career was shot. The first MRI confirmed what Dr. G had suspected. Everything was

Equivoque

equivoque

1. an equivocal term; an ambiguous expression.
2. a play on words; pun.
3. double meaning; ambiguity.

Clint was two seconds too late.

He caught a glimpse of curly red hair exiting the shop just as he emerged from the back with a dozen pair of black orthopedic shoes. With all the strength he could muster, he resisted the urge to give into his disappointment and hurl the boxes of shoes to the floor. He knew this case of “terrible two’s” would pass and his sulking would pass when she returned.

“Here you go,” Clint muttered, angrily as he set the boxes down next to swollen ankles and began his quarterly 90-minute ritual of opening every box as every pair is tested and tried. He struggled to maintain his composure. This was the second time he’d missed her because of their slow-moving patrons.

“What’s wrong with you today, young man?”

Clint scoffed in disgust. He’d had it.

“I’m not that young! And the one time someone my age actually comes in here and I’m

Katzenjammer

katzenjammer

1. uneasiness; anguish; distress.
2. the discomfort and illness experienced as the aftereffects of excessive drinking; hangover.
3. uproar; clamor: His speech produced a public katzenjammer.

At some point there was a shift.

It was slight, but its effects were seismic. But neither was sure when they’d hit the point of no return, when anger and hate had diffused into apathy and nonchalant shrugs.

The sound of screaming and splintering china used to be the norm. Now it was always quiet. The fault lines of communication were still disjointed, but there was a preference for eating off of real plates instead of Styrofoam and an ongoing weariness that made screaming feel futile.

It was worse than living with a detestable roommate. Yes, the rent was paid on time, but other than that there were more cons than pros on the list.

There was too much confusion. They both felt it. Their words had laid the path toward

Jurisprudence

jurisprudence

1. the science or philosophy of law.
2. a body or system of laws.
3. a department of law: medical jurisprudence.

The text came soon after their morning conversation. The message was simple, direct: I found someone for you to talk to. Meet me at 809A Cambridge St. in 15.

“Thank God,” Angie breathed, feeling relief flood her body.

She searched her memory, knowing Cambridge Street well enough to direct a tourist there, but unfamiliar with this exact address. Within seconds she’d plugged in the location. She was surprised to find 809A was nestled across the street from her favorite doughnut shop, but understood how she could miss it, given she was usually so enraptured by the aroma of sugar she saw nothing but the doughnut store itself during her weekly visits.

Be right there!, she messaged back.

Things were busier on Cambridge than she’d expected. Her nervousness grew as she searched for a parking space, the minutes ticking away. The thought of losing her chance at funding for lack of a parking space, seemed like

Rectitude

rectitude

1. rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue: the rectitude of her motives.
2. correctness: rectitude of judgment.
3. straightness.

It was hard to believe what she was hearing. Gareth sat there smug  in his suit and tie. His shoes shined to perfection and broad, genuine smile on his face, he looked every part of the persona he showed the media–the savvy businessman with a heart of gold and the unending desire to do good at every turn, one half of the duo that propelled a failing family business to the forefront of the industry.

But Kaylen knew this moment would come, when his true nature would slither out of the nice packaging and be exposed for what he was.

“Everett sacrificed too much for you to just shelve his project,” she argued. “You can’t just stop everything now.”

She knew it was clear she had

Willowacks

willowacks

1. New England. a wooded, uninhabited area.

The breeze shifted slightly, drawing lose curls across sun-washed skin. Lina shook the strands away, peering beneath her hand into the thrush. Nell was nowhere to be seen.

Overhead the full moon glowed a faint white against the pale evening sky, speaking of things to come.

“Nell!” A sharp whistle revealed irritation.

Another breeze rolled through, cooling the air around her.

This was the first time she’d lived this day, but something in the breeze made her question that fact. She knew this wind. Like the voice of an old friend she hadn’t seen since childhood, it called to her, beckoning her to remember.

If she closed her eyes, she could see herself there, in the tangle of the willowacks, even feel the scratchiness of grass between her toes.

There in the cooling of the day, that’s where Lina learned the meaning of love.

She resisted this painful moment that often tried to sneak out of from under

Flackery

flackery

1. publicity and promotion; press-agentry.

“Delaney, call us back, for crying out loud!”

The message was short, but the tone conveyed everything. They were tired of waiting for his response. Patience was not a virtue they possessed.

With a quick flip of his wrist, he spun his phone like a top on the wooden mantle over his fireplace, silently wishing it would fly uncontrollably to the floor and shatter into tiny pieces. He sighed deeply. He needed the phone with all its recordings. And he at least needed to talk to his mother.

They’d started calling her too now, hanging outside her flat, taking her photo, yelling questions at her as she scurried inside with her groceries. She handled the flackery better than he did, much to his surprise.

The phone slowed to a stop, just as