Category Archives: 02. The Prodigy

Four thin shadows with oversized hats stood against the ceiling of Cindy’s room, their feet against the wall opposite her bed. Below the shadows, nearly half the distance to the floor, stood four darts sunken into a panel of concentric circles and radii, the glow of the nightlight warming the underbelly of each dart.

Under the Lake

During and following a winter rain, water flows down from the surrounding mountains and collects throughout the floor of the Sink. Puddles form everywhere. It doesn’t take much water to result in a puddle with a great deal of surface area. Once the storm clears and the sky opens, the earth’s warmth escapes heavenward. In [...]

Cartophilia

Armen didn’t get a bicycle until he started middle school. Why he didn’t get one earlier I don’t know, but the fact that he never asked for one may have played a part. Armen was intimidated by the common bicycle. Riding one required an act which he feared he lacked both the courage and the [...]

The Cootie

In my experience, the typical child reaches a new social phase in her life around about age eight. This can be a very difficult time, as social groups become more exclusive, boys become more violent, and girls turn to new levels of scheming. When Cindy reached that point in her childhood, she didn’t strive for [...]

Evasive Action

Armen watched the second hand complete its final revolution. With the ring of the bell, the schoolroom was filled with a muffled chorus of chairs shifting on indoor-outdoor carpet. Armen watched the sunlight flare through the exit, and watched his classmates stream out into the light. He felt the sweat collect between his fingers and [...]

Waiting for the Bell

Armen watched the second hand complete its final revolution. With a ring of the bell, the schoolroom was filled with a muffled chorus of chairs shifting on indoor-outdoor carpet. Armen watched the sunlight flare through the exit, and watched his classmates stream out into the light. He felt the sweat collect between his fingers and [...]

The Falconer

Armen got a toy bow for Christmas. He never quite got the hang of the bow, so he just let Cindy play with it. Mr. and Mrs. Adroushan soon realized that Cindy would make good use of a proper bow. She spent hours upon hours with that bow, and before long she was a feature [...]

Pomeball

Grandpa Adroushan took his gardening shears out of his overalls and cut the stem and cap off the fruit, and said, “anyone up for a friendly game of pomeball?” Armen hurried off to fetch the baseball bat. Armen thought about what his grandfather had said about Armenians having once been something his grandfather called “Magians.” [...]

Family History

On odd Sundays the Adroushans would drive up to Fresno, attend church services, and visit Grandma and Grandpa Adroushan. One day after church in Autumn, Cindy and Armen were helping their grandfather harvest pomegranates in his backyard. Armen observed that the fruit resembled red Christmas tree ornaments. Grandpa agreed and tossed one down to Cindy, [...]

The Hacienda Fire

One hot night in July, the Adroushans were sitting watching TV before bed. The windows of the house were open to prevent the house from cooking its inhabitants. The Adroushans heard shouting outside, competing with the audio of the TV. Armen ran out to see what was going on, then burst in a moment later [...]