Act I The two saleswomen started laughing before the old man had even opened his mouth. It began as a small sound, sharp and breathy, the kind of laugh people use when they…

Act I Bob hit the suitcase before anyone understood what was happening. The black hardshell bag was moving slowly along carousel six, squeezed between a red duffel and a silver carry-on. Around it,…

Act I The rope should have snapped before the boy ever saw what was attached to it. It was thick, soaked black, and half-buried in mud where the river licked at the bank….

Act I Luna’s head rested on the center of Emma’s bare pregnant belly. The python was enormous, thick as a man’s thigh, its brown and black patterns shining softly in the morning light…

Act I Daniel raised his champagne glass before the room had finished whispering. The crystal chandeliers glittered above him like frozen fireworks, throwing warm light across the white linen tables, the towering arrangements…

Act I Maya was laughing when she ran across the patio. That was what made the moment unbearable later. She was seven years old, wearing a pale yellow tulle dress with a bow…