A Tight Write can be a moment in time, a pause before the storm or a glimpse at eternity. And in the careful hands of Julie Mark Cohen, One Tight Write can be as safe as houses.

Now, check the calendar and get posting if you want your own entry to count – details here, but hurry!

www.awordwithyoupress.com/2010/12/05/one-tight-write-our-new-contest-for-december-2/

Sheer Resistance

“Quite the house for a construction manager. Four-thousand square feet on a hillside. Why so many concrete walls?”

“They’re reinforced concrete.”

“Why? Aren’t you a wood expert?”

“Seismologists declared this region an active earthquake zone. The latest building code requires seismic-resistant shear walls. Reinforced concrete sounded the safest.”

“Nonsense. You wasted your money.”

“Look down the hill. See the new hospital? The rebar layout was too complicated to build. So, after dark, I secretly removed truckloads for my-”

The ground trembled.

“You did what?”

“My house!”

The two men ran from the crumbling structure.

“Your house? You fool. What about-”

The San Andreas is NOT MY FAULT!!!!