12 The Queen of Spades » Four old friends, struggling to escape the past, look down at the hand they've been dealt: a mysterious car accident, a beautiful corpse, a small town stuck in a gray summer, and a barefooted girl discovered bloody and mute outside the local cemetery's kiss-me-gate. With Jokers hidden in the deck and the ever-rising stakes of secrets, the game has begun, and there's no getting out.

Garage Sale One long afternoon, a lonely old woman puts her memories up for sale. Like a ghost among the worn leather boots and soiled gardening gloves, an unworn wedding dress is given a price tag.

1 Walking Her Home A little piece about possibility—the short story of a starry night, a few broken curfews, a mischievous girl, a close-to-clueless boy, an untied shoelace, a pair of sweaty palms, and the long walk home.