Flash Frog

Dharsha kept her hands tight over her eyes until she reached 10 because that was the sort of girl she was. Even in a game of hide and seek, she was a rule follower — her school uniform neat, her twin braids tied off…

You used to think you might marry Markus Mayer when you grew up, but now you want to peel every freckle off his face and prove he’s a liar. “I’m not scared of ghosts,” you say when he tells you Mr. Gower’s field is…

I watch Father’s new wife add Kalamata olives to the dough. Their residue leaves ochre-green patches, like wounds on skin. Sliced, the bread will look as if capillaries have burst inside the layers. She lifts her hefty bangs, smiles. “I know you adore olives.”…