The rain had just started to thicken into a steady curtain when you pushed open your car door, the metallic click echoing softly under the glow of the streetlamps. The world outside shimmered — not just from the water pooling on the asphalt, but from the way the lights refracted through it, bending into soft halos like something out of a dream. The little hamburger shop sat tucked between two brick storefronts, its neon sign buzzing faintly, casting a warm pink‑orange glow across the wet sidewalk. The smell of grilled patties and sweet waffle cones drifted out each time someone opened the door, mixing with the cool scent of rain. It was the kind of place that promised comfort the moment you stepped inside. As you headed toward the entrance, the reflections on the pavement danced — reds, greens, and yellows from the traffic light across the street. You glanced over just in time to catch a procession of 1969 Impalas and old Fords rolling through the intersection, their chrome bodie...
Kiesha stepped out of her moms house with earbuds in her ears because she did not feel like hearing weirdos begging her for attention as she went on her merry way. The sun greeted her like a unpaid bill. Her neighborhood was quiet, but she knew it wasn’t going to stay that way for long because the crackheads usually leave their houses around 11:00 am and it was 11:30am Thirty seconds into her walk, she saw him: a creature wandering toward her like he really did not have anywhere to go. He had on a white muscle shirt but there were no muscles so there was a sort of muscular confusion. He also had on cargo shorts that looked three sizes to big.He was suspicious. Kiesha was seasoned in dodging sidewalk dilemmas, When the creature spoke she gave him the same attention she'd give a parking meter: none. In her mind, she imagined him back in ...