The writing was blurred. The paper had yellowed. All the ink was smudged. We could make little sense of the meaning, barely identify a word, but still detect a voice, feel the breathlessness. Somewhere behind a locked door a child’s shuddering sobs reverberated strong enough to make the walls shake.

Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.