A while back, I knew this old lady. She was what some people call a pack rat. She saved everything. Every last dollar, and every last trinket. To her, everything around her was beautiful and worth saving. But there was a problem. She had a

There is a time for old stories, and there is a time for present tales. One such tale of the present is that of the Burned Man. You see, the Burned Man was harmed long ago in one of the cruelest, most

An old hotel sits on the corner in some depraved sector of Arcadia. It used to have a name. But its name doesn't matter anymore. The old sign out front still reads: "Enjoy your stay." The hotel used to flourish, long ago, before

It's always been the case that man relies upon animals. Perhaps none more so than a dog. I know of no time in the history of Arcadia where dogs were not used by man. Not merely for companionship, however, but work. It seems

There she is. A little girl. And she has no idea how dangerous things are about to be for her. There are many, many people who wish her harm. She is innocent. She has no skin in this game. This terrible game, where she

Chasing the dragon. It is an expression I hear from the addicted who, so often, find themselves receiving justice from me, one way or the other. It is, as they freely admit, a fruitless chase. But they persist anyway. They say that first hit

Man has a tendency to want to be one thing. He dreams of the achievement. One man desires to be rich. Another man desires to be powerful. Still another wants to be a star. But where man is rich in one area, he

In the light of day a man goes about his work, and in so doing he casts a long shadow. The shadow mimics his every action. After all, it is the shadow of the man. In fact, as the days pass

Scattered photographs all over the floor, beneath an ultra-violet light. Amongst this collection of photographs are memories. Some of those memories bring smiles to faces. Others simply aggravate old scars. Many of the photographs are pieces of art, painstakingly produced by