She regretted coming back before new year. She could've stayed in  Chicago . The people at the house wanted her there. Liked the way she made coffee. Thought she was respectful enough. Plus she played guitar better than the bozo who was supposed to be the best player in the...

The sound of a tuning guitar brought back memories. College.

Ashley was still college aged actually. She had attended for only a year before dropping out. It had been a mess. A waste of twenty grand.

Afterwards she was too embarrassed to move back home. She worked at a cafe near campus:...

Tonight she was alone. The stillness was heavy.

Ashley was still out in Chicago. When they spoke, Imogen would be confused as to whether Ashley would be back for the new year party. Sometimes Ashley would make it sound like she was definitely coming back. Sometimes she made it sound like...

The mist was thick. He felt like he was walking through water. It reminded him of the  aquarium in  Chicago . It was dark now just like it was in that glass sea tunnel back when he was a kid. It had been a school trip. Over three hours to...

She liked the idea of a stranger in an Airbnb in town. It felt more exciting than a local just doing a staycation , which was a word she'd never heard before. At first she thought she might want to do a staycation, but then she couldn't ignore just how...