I got promoted to senior analyst last month. Dream job, better pay, corner office on the 14th floor. On my first day, my new boss Tom gave me the office keys and a weird warning: “Don’t work late on Thursdays.” “Why not?” He just smiled. “Trust me.” I forgot about it until three weeks later. … Read more
My aunt died and left me her house. I barely knew her. She was my dad’s sister, the weird one nobody talked about. The house was in rural Montana, middle of nowhere. I flew out to check it out before selling it. It was nice inside. Clean, normal. Except for one room on the second … Read more
My son Jamie started kindergarten this year. Carpool pickup is at 3:15pm, same spot every day, right by the flagpole. On Thursday, I pulled up early. Saw Jamie already standing there with a woman. Blonde hair, skinny jeans, looked like any other mom. I honked. Jamie waved, started walking toward her car instead of mine. … Read more
I’ve been going to the same gym for three years. Same locker, #237, every single time. It’s a weird habit, but I like routines. Last week, the lock was already on it. My lock. Same combination and everything. I told the front desk. They checked the system. “Sir, you checked in 45 minutes ago.” “No, … Read more
My neighbor Mrs. Chen asked me to babysit her daughter Lily every Tuesday while she went to “book club.” Easy money, right? Lily was sweet, quiet, always drawing pictures at the kitchen table while I did homework. One Tuesday, Lily drew a picture of her mom. Except Mrs. Chen was wearing a white coat and … Read more