Saint Joseph School

The door, once inviting, once welcoming is cold and forbidding. I can’t help staring at the handle as I wipe my eyes, wondering if they’re red enough to give me away. Who’s on the other side, I wonder? Sam was in there when I went in to grab something clean to wear. I didn’t see Aura or Joni, but I ...

"I've gotta get back," Cait babbled out rapidly, finishing her fight with the skimpy fabric. She scooped David's swimsuit from the beach. "I've been gone all night. Oh, God, I'm in so much trouble. I have to get back." She hurried back to him, her gaze fixed on the remnants of the fire. David turned ...

A construction crew had decided to move into Caitlin's head overnight. They were pounding mercilessly on the inside of her skull, preventing her from drifting back into sweet sleep. She opened her eyes a bit and then squeezed them tightly shut as the bright light drove a lance right into her aching ...

Two weeks later...

“Hey, David!” Caitlin called out as she approached David’s locker. He turned suddenly almost spilling his books. She reached out a hand to help steady them and held back a sympathetic wince.

“Oh, uh, hi Cait.”

“I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute? Or are you on your ...

Prom was only a week away. Cait settled down at a desk in her quad with an inviting piece of paper before her. Her roommates were all out at the moment, presumably enjoying the Saturday afternoon. She idly toyed with a cell phone and glanced at a swatch of fabric near her other hand.

"What's this ...

Caitlin couldn't help giggling as she nodded. "I'd love to go with you. Just one more thing, though?"

Leaning in swiftly, Caitlin gave David a kiss on the cheek. "If you really want to work on figuring out a paradox, you can figure out who kissed who first," she whispered, before sitting back with ...

"Look, David," Caitlin began gently after thinking for a moment, "I'm not sure what would have happened if you… if your future self hadn't messed things up…" She stopped as she saw the downfallen look on his face. "That's not what I meant," she interjected before he could say anything. "I was just ...

Caitlin opened her eyes and dimly realized that she had fallen asleep. With a surge of panic, she scampered to her feet, scanning frantically for Tommy. Stupid! An angry jerk of her head accompanied her silent self-rebuke. She shouldn't have fallen asleep. She was lucky she woke up at all.

Where ...

"Hold up." Caitlin held both hands up in interruption. "What do y… Wh-who…?"

She closed her eyes, with one hand still raised, and let out a slow breath. David had a way with these sorts of things, but they usually gave her a headache. She opened her eyes again and dropped her hand into her lap ...

Mike took a moment to survey the brick hearth and mentally checked off his list. A small hand-woven rug lay with one edge slightly curled over the brickwork corner. He thought fondly of the aunt who made it for him as he placed a hand-carved ivory amulet in its center. That was a present from his ...

Caitlin struggled to keep her eyes open. Disjointed images half-painted in rain-washed gray, half-smeared by terror, were all she had leading to this moment. She recalled rough water and the kayak capsizing. Time ticked away and practiced maneuvers became frantic attempts to upright it. "Only wet ...