David Sydney

As Ralph and Frodo approached, Cornelius Sawyer added extra frown lines to his face. When it came to dog owners and dogs, he had only one opinion – both were bad. His property, at the end of a small block in the neighborhood northeast of Philadelphia, was itself small and... Read More

THE NIGHT BEFORE Mel couldn't sleep well. He had an appointment with his dentist, Dr. Fromberg, in the morning. None of Sam Fromberg's patients could sleep well the night before an appointment. Mel had a lumpy mattress, which didn't help either. TEETH Whenever he faced a dental appointment, Mel thought... Read More

Marge, the waitress at AL'S DINER, brought the breakfast eggs and potatoes back to the kitchen. Al, in his undershirt, looked up from the grill. With a broken exhaust fan, he cooked more easily in a sweaty tank top. “I've got a return for you.” Al looked over the hot,... Read More

FATALITIES Half of all humans who ever lived died as a result of mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are loathsome creatures with long snouts and filthy saliva. The female mosquito is the one who bites, since she needs blood to reproduce. Male mosquitoes have poor mouthparts, incapable of puncturing human skin. CUSTOMERS... Read More

THE START “What’re you doing, Ed?” “Getting ready.” “So you've taken Dr. Fromberg's advice?” It was Thursday morning. Edna put down her coffee cup as she studied him and the new running shoes. Was he about to walk at least 2,000 steps that day? “How about blisters, Ed? You know... Read More

“Fred?... You're Fred Bromley, right?” “What?” “C'mon, Fred. Don't you remember me?” It was another Saturday morning. Mel sat on the park bench as he did so often, weather permitting. He wasn't wild about drizzle, for example. Then he stayed home. Now, while tossing stale popcorn to the pigeons, he... Read More

“Are you okay, Otto?” Adding a few frown lines to his face, Otto stirred his oatmeal. He and his lukewarm cereal were next to Fred and Fred's scrambled eggs that Thursday morning at Al’s Diner. Nothing is stronger than habit: this was another of their Thursday morning breakfasts together. “I... Read More

Flushed, panicked, Mel burst through the swinging doors of the saloon. He made it to the back, overturning a half dozen of the poorly-constructed chairs and two tables. "Did you hear what happened, Jake?" Was this a trick question? Jake, the saloon owner who stood behind the counter, was hard... Read More

"Did you hear that, Ed?" "What?" "That sound in the wall?" "You mean that loud banging?" At 3 AM Edna was awake and concerned in the dark room. They shared a double bed, with Ed closest to the outside wall. "It's probably just ants, Edna." "Ants? What'd you mean ants?"... Read More

"How are you, Frank?" "Not so good." They were at AL'S DINER. Frank was a little late. Otto's oatmeal was cool by the time Frank arrived. His coffee, too. Frank was upset, grimacing, while looking up past his lined forehead. "A bird crapped on me." "What?" "On the way in... Read More