My wife Julia and I found the tangle of three balloons and white ribbons on the ocean side of Shackleford Banks. Half-buried in a sand dune. Mylar. Red metallic sheen dulled from however long they’d been out there.

I picked them up, shook off the sand, and dictated a voice memo into my phone.

Grim Short Story

Imagine how excited Cody was when she got these balloons for her birthday. Imagine how excited she was to do… Continue reading →