Hot Blast ~ I was warm all over, even sweating, and I had to peel myself apart from my partner. My eyes wanted to stay shut, and my joints felt like jelly. But what occurred to me above the rest was just how tired, how numb, my tongue was. I cracked my eyes open and … More Spitfire Chapter 14
Oh! Darling ~ I was a zombie. A shambling ghoul from some old Romero film, dragging about the world doing nothing but killing and eating. And like a zombie, I stared through the open doorway into my apartment without comprehension or purpose, my shoulders limp and a moan building in my throat. But Fumbles came … More Spitfire Chapter 13
Field of Flames ~ Much as I loved the heat, today I was sweating miserably in my body armor, packed into a van with several equally sweaty grunts. The prospect of encountering more police sent a chill down my spine, but a cold sweat was no better than a hot one. At least it was … More Spitfire Chapter 12
Warming Up ~ I was a few steps out the door of Dick’s hotel room when I realized Viola was following me. Of course, there was only one set of elevators so of course we were walking the same direction, but Viola was also catching up. I felt her presence a few seconds in advance, … More Spitfire Chapter 11
Cold Shoulder ~ “What have you done, Barbara?” “Nice to see you, too,” I said. “No Hello, no Has it been two years already?” “I won’t hear a word of that, Barbara. I have nothing to say until you tell me. Why are you in prison?” I swept my eyes around, seeking an escape from … More Spitfire Chapter 10
Heat Coming Down ~ “Why the fuck didn’t you lawyer up?” Dick said. “C’mon, Barb. Don’t ever say a thing to the police without a lawyer. Don’t even breathe too loud without a lawyer.” I stood still, watching Dick pace across his hotel room. “I didn’t need one,” I said. “Yes you did,” Dick … More Spitfire Chapter 9
Stop! In the Name of Love ~ My truck had started making this unnerving rattle whenever I braked. I sat at a red light, puzzling over the clatter coming from God knows where, trying to decide whether the noise was worth spending money for repairs. The brakes worked just fine. I had no “check engine” … More Spitfire Chapter 8
Wildfire ~ My trench coat was clinging to my middle—belted too tight, though I had no room to adjust it—and my boots were new and still stiff. My helmet was too large, and my breath hissed through the mask. I held a rifle in my hands for the first in a long time, some Heckler … More Spitfire Chapter 7
Tender Loving Care ~ Something was beeping. For a moment I’d thought someone was torturing a squirrel next to my ear, but I figured it was probably beeping. I opened my eyes and immediately closed them. Sun. Or something else too bright. No, it was a ceiling, glaring down at me like I’d done something … More Spitfire Chapter 6
Overheating ~ I started carrying the gun around a lot more. When I got out of the shower, I had it in the pocket of my robe. When I slept, it was hidden under the covers. On the second day afterward, someone knocked on my apartment door, someone with the wrong address. I had the … More Spitfire Chapter 5
Crider the Writer 