Gina sat alone at a patio table of a restaurant with a book in her hands and watched a small fire truck and ambulance pull up a half a block away. A group of emergency responders entered the front door of a small business, and within five minutes, they rolled an unconscious woman out on a gurney, placed her in the back of the ambulance, and drove off. Gina sipped
As his family prepared for another day of work and school, Prakash turned on the home audio system and played a devotional song dedicated to Ganesh, the god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles. Prakash looked out the sliding door to the balcony and noticed that his wife Shristi had decorated their stone sculpture of Ganesh with flowers. Prakash smiled and hoped this was a good omen. More than
One night, Gordon Baker dreamed he was standing in his pajamas on the sloping roof of the Williams’ house and staring at the stars. He awoke to actually find himself sliding off the edge of the Williams’ roof. On his way over the edge, he grabbed the rain gutter, which separated from the house but broke Gordon’s fall and allowed him to land gently on the yard. Gordon sprinted three
Mark Garrett walked under a colonnade of trees arching over Tierra Avenue. Lawns flush with moonlight shared territory with the darkness in patchwork intervals. A cat creeping through the Millers’ rose garden turned to look at Mark in mild surprise, then disappeared around the corner of the house. Mark sensed a field mouse, its heart beating wildly, watching the cat pass by. Like most domesticated pets, this cat was a
The hulking figure across the table glared at Howard Collins, pointed at him, and said, “Hey, I pay your salary, man. You have no right to hold out on me. You know damn well I’m allergic to Tramadol. I need Percocet. I’m in pain! Can’t you see that?” Howard considered the irony. He had spent several years and $140,000 on his education to secure his job as a physician assistant,
