In the corner of my vision, the notification light on my phone blinked blue. Again. Again again again. Never when I looked right at it. Just in my peripheral.

Still, I picked the phone up. Swiped the screen open. No app notifications. No one to communicate with me. Not even a dumb automated political message.

Maybe I should text someone. Just to see a real notification light, break the illusion.

But who would reply? Who would care?

This was my life now. I had pushed everyone away. I slipped my phone into my pocket to hide the silence from myself.

Thanks for reading!

Summer’s latest:

With Words We Weave 2022: Hope

Featuring an exclusive Hopeful Wanderer short-story!

For over 100 years, Texas High Plains Writers has been a part of great storytelling in Texas and beyond.

This year, our anthology offers a collection of short-stories, memoirs, inspirational essays, and poetry filled with hope.

With 22 talented authors, from best-sellers to the first time in print, there is something for everyone.

Great heroes of legends past sit side by side in these pages with the unsung citizens showing kindness to strangers. Humor, adventure, and nostalgia combine to remind us all that hope can be found anywhere.