The Basement

The trip down is always tricky in the dark. Have you ever had something to do, some minor task, that … More

The Flip Side

The music stopped, but we kept dancing. We could hear the melody going on, even though the musicians were packing up. … More

“Gramma, come on. Next stop Zippy’s.” Sometimes I can’t believe I’m still alive to hear this. Every year, the same … More

I could smell it on him the moment he entered the room. Even more than usual. My eyes began to water. You’d … More

My dad used to have them outside his den. I remember sneaking down there in the dead of night to … More

“There there there!” says Eddie, pointing through the crack in the curtain. “See what I mean?” I still don’t see … More

So I was walking right behind this guy, following him into Longs. Bam. He went directly to the nearest cashier, … More

June, they say, is for weddings, and lovers often schedule their exchange of vows accordingly. Some couples may not know … More

This old house stands a ruin. To restore it would be nothing short of a teardown. The folks on This Old House would take … More

The convertible top was seven years old now. Under good conditions, Chris figured it would have held up for many … More

Mr. Fujimoto wheeled his gray trash bin to the curb and dropped it at the edge. Pausing, he looked down … More

We sat opposite each other, each stirring coffee in thick white cups, trying to cool it off. “Cream,” I said. “Cream … More

Thank you for your note letting me know you’d received the notice I sent. It’s been a long time since we … More

Albert could hear him stop on the other side of the door. He sounded like an asthmatic, as if the exertion … More

1. Death Wish Rendered unconscious by a fall in the bathtub, a president of Russia drowned. * * * 2. … More

Alice was down on her knees scrubbing the kitchen floor when the doorbell rang. The kitchen floor always took a … More

The clock above his computer was a big one. Its tick, tick, tick could be ignored some nights, but not … More

I left you there for just a moment, at the forest’s edge, before we began our journey. When I returned … More

The icy wind swirled and cut at them like a knife that could slice a tomato paper-thin. Stars shown above as … More

“Put ‘er there, pal,” he says, sounding as though he’s stepped out of an O. Henry story. I put my … More