Three friends were led through the door and into the room where they stood before two further, adjacent doors.  The door to the left led to a perfect life, they were told, filled with anything they wanted. The door to the right led back to the life they were already leading: a normal life. One […]

Then “No, you shouldn’t use SIGKILL to stop a given process right away. It prevents the computer from doing any finalization.” He reached past her and made the change with a few keystrokes. “Always use SIGTERM so the process can be finalized.” Some would claim she learned fast, but he knew better. She learned just […]

“You’re a time traveler?” “In a generic sense, yes.” The woman who had introduced herself as Yuxenia responded with a sigh of exasperation, “But everyone is. I suppose in your time period, you don’t call people automobile drivers, do you?” “Well, not really, no.” “Exactly!” Yuxenia held out her hands, as though framing his answer. […]

When God, in His omniscient and unquestionable wisdom, decided to add a Post-Modern Testament to His Holy Book, chaos erupted amongst even the most devout of His believers. For you see, an earlier Commandment had been changed. God’s Post-Modern Testament demonstrated a change of mind just like the Lord had done in the past. God, […]

We were seven and eight, and though the world still seemed big then, it couldn’t compare with your presence in my life. How young I was, how foolish. How naively courageous. To think that I could dictate to someone older than me, “So whenever we learn something, we’ll teach it to each other, that way […]

Stanley startled awake in an unfamiliar place, entire body on edge. As his eyes adjusted and he took stock of his surroundings, he realized he was standing in the middle of a room with a solitary light hovering from some unimaginably high ceiling. Was he standing? Why was he standing? How had he been standing in […]

What is the difference between a moment in time and a picture? Nothing. The snow is no longer falling – it simply exists there, stuck in midair, deprived of its destination eternally. The tree boughs forever heavily laden with collected snow, doomed to never grow new leaves. Though the scene is black and white, it […]

Inspired from this sculpture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_(sculpture) “Say, Winter, what’s the secret to happiness?” She didn’t turn around, but I could see from the way her shawl moved that her head turned. The flames in the fireplace crackled in protest at the cold strength of her gaze. “Winter!” I chided. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, turning back to […]

“Not there. Here,” Sandra chided. I wondered why it mattered but acquiesced to her demands, upending the bucket and scooping up more wet sand before planting it down on her desired location. “More! Water.” She was busy being the architect, carefully sculpting the walls of her desired construct the way children do: haphazardly with a shovel. […]

You found me when I was smaller. Curious. Blind to the world, but ready to hear your voice and lick your hand. I was your only companion as I grew up. You were my only person. I was there for you as you were there for me. Remember when you wouldn’t let me eat the […]