“Beyond the windows the sun was buckling off paving stones, off shutters and white-painted walls, and even in here where the air was antiseptic and cool we talked slowly, moved slowly, cleaned wounds and took blood slowly. It had been long enough since the door had opened that we paused at the squeal of its hinges, noticed the parched breath of the desert sweep in.”
Enjoy this audio recording of “Petrified” by Gerri Brightwell from Vol. 34:2 of CALYX Journal! Buy your copy here!
Gerri Brightwell‘s fourth novel, Turnback Ridge (Torrey House Press), was a finalist for the 2022 Foreword Indies Award (adult thriller & suspense). Her short work has appeared in many venues including The Best American Mystery Stories 2017, Alaska Quarterly Review, Copper Nickel, Redivider, and BBC Radio 4’s Opening Lines. She directs the creative writing program at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. https://gerribrightwell.com.