He was in his bedroom. He smelled food. The food smelled like chicken. It smelled good. A neighbor must be cooking dinner, he thought. But how could he smell his neighbor's dinner? The smell couldn't come through his apartment's heating vent. That ve...
He was in Miami. He was an oil executive. He was at a bar with some friends. It was about 1 a.m. He walked out of the bar. He didn't say good night to his friends. He didn't say anything to anyone. He just walked out of the bar. The videotape from a...
She was blonde and pretty. She was in a bar with her friend. Her friend was a brunette. A man put some money in the jukebox. Slow music started playing. He went over to the women's table. Hi, he said. Both women looked at him. Would you like to dance...
He needed to blow his nose. He pulled four sheets off the roll of toilet paper. What's this, he wondered. The first two sheets were 2-ply. The next two sheets were mostly 1-ply. He pulled six more sheets off the roll. The first four sheets were mostl...
She was running late. She wanted a fast breakfast. She didn't have time to make her own breakfast. Her usual breakfast was rice, vegetables, and meat. Will you make me a fast breakfast? she asked her boyfriend. He was American. She was Asian. He pref...
The phone rang as he was leaving the apartment. He didn't answer it. It's probably Dave, he thought. His brother Dave had said he would call. He returned home an hour later. He checked his phone for missed calls. There was only the one call. But it w...
This was his first visit to the corner library. He walked over to the library information desk. The woman behind the information desk was reading a magazine. He stood in front of her. She continued reading the magazine. He cleared his throat. She loo...
Everything's a hassle, he thought. The smallest thing is a hassle. Taking the cap off the toothpaste tube is a hassle. Squeezing the toothpaste tube is a hassle. Putting the toothpaste on the toothbrush is a hassle. Brushing his teeth is a hassle. Li...
He had a 9 p.m. flight. He hated to fly. A passenger plane is always crowded. It is always full. Passengers are jammed together. They are packed together. Side by side. Elbow to elbow. Front to back. Knees to butts. Five hours from California to New...
Jean talked to a USPS representative. The mailman didn't redeliver my package today, she said. This is the second day in a row. The representative said, He didn't redeliver your package on Tuesday or Wednesday. That's two days in a row. I'm very sorr...
