In the Shade of the Overpass
“The implant in the ranger’s wrist vibrates on the hour to remind him that it’s time to patrol the perimeter of Riverside Park. He stands up, ignores the ache in his knees, and exits his station before the implant can sense disobedience and buzz again.”
The Exodus of Andrew McCalister
“Daniel lifts himself up into the arms of the biggest oak tree on the tallest hill at Moriah Christian Camp. This is easier now that he is eighteen and grown into his gawky, baby-deer limbs. In past years, just the act of hauling himself onto the lowest branch would be enough to trigger an asthma attack.”
Flowers for Al
“At three in the morning on her second Saturday in the hospital for her broken hip, Al gets a roommate. A young one, at that, with red hair shaved close to his head and delicate features that make him look a little elven. He’s so small that Al thinks he must only be fourteen,
maybe fifteen years old. She wonders where his parents are.”