The scenic byway of Joshua Tree National Park could take as long as three hours to reach from Charlie’s rental in Pacific Palisades. But the choice between a long drive and a stupid mistake at home was a clear one, especially since Toby had moved back in two months ago. Getting high in front of Toby was akin to sodomy in front of a priest – an indistinguishable mess of disgust and yearning that Charlie occasionally took some sadistic pleasure in. As Charlie’s convertible zipped along the route’s many cambers, Toby closed his eyes, forcing his pupils up into the back into his head as his brother’s voice sliced through the wind. The unnatural movement gave him a satisfying kind of headache. “Can we talk?” Charlie began, his first words of the day appearing just as the sun began to set. Toby pursed his lips and nodded. It had been…
All men don’t mean only the men folks. It is a euphemism for “humanity”. You may not agree, but that’s the fact, all people are not…
It is Christmas time. There is Christmas music in the air coming from the lobby. As I look down from upstairs I see a…
It was the day after my ninth birthday. Being at the end of May the weather was decent, and my dad suggested a walk…
Very Dear Vasanti, I don’t know if I can address you as ‘Dear’. It is a very pleasant surprise to see your message with…
Wulfstan followed Margot into the misted atrium. Ferns and leafy plants made a rain forest impression. Hidden speakers pumped out soothing atonal music. A…
MRS. MISTRY SHUFFLED ALONG THE NARROW AISLE THAT LED FROM THE front to the back of the laundrette. A row of plastic seats to…
When Edward Longfellow turned sixty-six, he determined that four decades of slaving away in a dead-end job was more than he could take. The…
The tide was up on the beach. It covered the mud flats. Sandworm bait diggers leave by early morning. So Carl and Lorenzo, carrying…
Author: Michael Vail Copyright 2021 Joshua Tree, CA. Cholla Needles Price: $12.25 (Paperback) There is something about the desert. No other environment on planet…
