Pool

Between planks of wood I caught a glimpse of the surface of the neighbor’s pool shimmering in the sunlight. A cowboy hat, partially darkened from water, floated across, rotating in the current. A pair of snakeskin boots lay toppled by the side of the water. Outside the fence line, a trail of fresh footprints pressed into the mud.

No. 166

Crash

The truck stopped at a diagonal in the intersection, skid marks still steaming behind it. The engine gave a gasp, then fell silent. The rear bike wheel had become separated from the frame and lay dented beneath a front tire. The rider sprawled across the concrete. One car drove past the truck, then another, then another. The owner of the gas station on the corner stepped outside and then turned and went back in.

No. 155

Facade

The scaffolding had fallen apart, either from the shoddy workmanship, or from the gusts of wind overnight. Walking past it the morning after the storm, it was unclear how long it had been in place. The wooden planks sat askew and looked weather-worn. The stone facade of the building had crumbled away, revealing the skeletal structure. The wooden staircase within, now exposed to the elements, began rotting. At street level the ceramic mailbox that always stood in greeting now lay crumbled in pieces.

No. 054