My Cardboard Balcony

Eight Minutes by Belinda Roddie There was something egregiously peaceful about the chatter of ticking in the corner of the living room, where the dust formed crop circles on the table that preserved a mummified rose in a skull and three never-lit candles. The piss-poor lighting in the space gave her face a disturbing appeal, the shadows clustered, like cockroaches, around her nose, waiting for an exterminator in the form of a sunbeam to fry them out of their safe haven, their crackling exoskeletons the only sound in a vacuum of denial and self-inflicted hesitation. Well, besides the second hand. She asked me if I would like another glass of wine, as red as the velvet around her neck, plush lust bunched up against her chin, the pointed beak of a falcon preparing to peck the eyes out of unsuspecting prey. I loosened my collar, and the stem wobbled between my fingers as I handed her the chalice, and all at once, the rug seemed to cave in beneath my sneakers. Ther...

"You did not go to the barracks, Lieutenant Graham," Colonel Francoise snapped as the lieutenant snapped to attention. "No, ma'am, I did not." "You deliberately ignored my orders and went to the frontlines. Is that correct as well?" "Yes, ma'am, that is correct." Colonel Francoise sighed. "First mistake - you always follow my orders. Second mistake - you do not call me 'ma'am.' You do not call me 'miss,' or 'missus,' or 'madam,' or 'little lady.' You call me 'Colonel.' Got it, Graham?"

One of the troopers outside my window beckoned for her companions to gather around the car. Its left bumper was half torn off at this point, the bent shrapnel located off the nearest curb, and the only way I could see anything happening was by the guiding light of the police cars, the noise of the sirens accompanying the imposing flashes of red and blue. The paramedics had already pulled out the gurney, and I waited quietly for my neighbor to be carted away.

by Belinda Roddie "Personally, I prefer pandas," remarked Jenny as she perused the teddy bear-patterned pajamas in front of her, neatly folded and tagged. Her sister, Gina, rolled her eyes. "Well, good luck finding panda pajamas in half a hour," she replied. "We need to meet up with Dad at the restaurant by six. No later. Remember?" Jenny lifted a sleeve of the pajama shirt before lethargically letting it drop. Despite her usual sass and wit, she seemed much more worn out than usual. She had taken on more hours at work, and the stress was certainly affecting her physically. Gina could almost swear that the number of bags under her sister's eyes had doubled since she last saw her. The restaurant that the two women planned to meet their father at was a childhood favorite, an independent little diner called Lassie's that always gave its patrons a free slice of pie if they ordered both a soda and an entree. Gina hadn't been able to ge...

Whose cat was perched on my windowsill? I tried to shoo it off, but it just sat still. I got a broom and shook it, but it didn't bat an eye. It just stood on the sill with its head to the sky. I tried to bribe with a meal, but it wouldn't budge. I couldn't reach the sill to push it, not even a nudge. Despite my calls and clamoring, the cat just wouldn't go. I guess I'll have to learn to love it, 'til it jumps below.

In a lot of ways, I'm very lucky to be where I am today. Obviously, I have a lot to do in terms of finding a teaching credential program I can afford, as well as seeking out opportunities to further supplement my income along with the hours I get at the bookstore. Money is very tight for me right now, and I have a fairly small savings account that I don't want to dive into just yet. But if you look away from the financial stuff, I am still very lucky, and not just because I can always write no matter what my situation is. Namely, I'm talking about my relationship. My girlfriend and I have been living together for a little over three months now, and so far, it's been smooth. One thing that's been hard for me to get used to, of course, is the idea that I am not exactly bringing in a lot of money. I had daydreamed of being the one to have a job that was both enjoyable and financially comfortable; instead, I am actually relying a lot on my girlfriend for support and f...

"Caramel Kisses" is an unfinished novel I began to write back in 2009 and stopped working on in 2010. The two main characters - Adriana Maguire Reynard and Emma Burking - would ultimately be revised for my later completed novella, "The Liffey Is Half-Asleep," in 2011. Several elements of "Liffey" can be found in their original forms in "Caramel Kisses," such as the characters' names, the haiku scene, and Adriana's penchant for writing. Because of its influence on my later writing, I figured that this story, though incomplete, was worth sharing. Caramel Kisses: Chapter Eight by Belinda Roddie By the time Emma sauntered into the kitchen, I was making breakfast. It wasn’t much, just pancakes browning on the stove, my hand twitching noticeably as I worked to flip them. I looked at her and she smiled, her eyes heavy with sleep but still unbelievably bright and warm to look at. She breathed deeply, sampling the smell of cheap, makeshift p...