Knitting Fiction

In her dream Irene walked alone in the dark. Alone. Without light. She was not afraid. She sensed that her path lay between water and sand. She noted that her way was clear. Her steps swung forward without encumbrance, or stumbling blocks and always onto solid surface. She walked. In time a faint pink glow […]

“Hey Jake, ask your mom if you can stay over on Friday.”       A boy in a grey hoodie freezes mid-hop on his way down the school bus steps, and turns toward the question. Another boy, at the top of the steps, this one in a black hoodie, twists himself around and hangs onto […]

Jake is ladling red sauce onto his noodles. His ladle stops in mid air. He blanches. White as a sheet, and locks onto Grandma Margaret. She looks to him. Then looks over the top of her glasses at Jake’s mother. As soon as Jake’s mother sees the over-the-glasses look she adds, “Oh, never mind, we […]

“See me.”       The woman stops and looks around.  Where did the voice come from? Who is speaking to her? She stands still in the aisle, listening. The Holiday Bazaar is busy and when she stops, other shoppers move around her as though she is a boulder in the bed of a stream. It […]

The woman drops the Styrofoam head with its sunflower hat. It falls onto the floor, bounces once and begins rolling. Before it comes to rest, she is already running down the wide aisle, dodging shoppers as she runs. Dodging to the right, to the left, around groups. She runs toward the museum exit doors. Holiday […]

Anna senses the presence of something very large and very dangerous. The danger is near. The danger is not still. It moves.  It moils. And it grows. But not outward. The danger does not grow outward. Instead it grows inward. She realizes her danger is fractal. She thinks that very word: “fractal.” She turns around […]

 “Oh shit!,” Anna says out loud. “What have I done? What have I done?”       She begins pacing. Or trying to. But the bathroom is small and turns her around. And around. Soon she is pacing in circles. Circling along with her thoughts. She stops and rereads the note still taped on the mirror. […]

Anna stops rocking. Holding perfectly still, she listens. A woman’s voice, calling her name. Calling, “Anna, Anna.” She can’t understand what the voice is saying. It’s not clear to her. At first she thinks the voice is saying, “We’ve come to check on you. Jane asked us to check on you.” But on second thought […]

Imprinting “Dr. Waldt this is Connie Bassett calling from Compassion ED. I don’t know if you remember me; we met at last year’s Summit Psychiatric Convention. I’m the psych house-doc at Compassion.”      “Yes, Connie, I do remember you. Please call me Thomas. What can I do for you so bright and early this […]

     Dr. Waldt seats himself in the chair he’s placed in his foyer for just this purpose. He is already dressed in his winter overcoat and stocking cap, with a pair of fur lined, leather gloves sticking out from his overcoat pocket. He pauses for a moment and places his open hands, one on […]