"Edwin and Annie" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

One of Edwin the crow's favorite people was old Annie who lived in a broken-down RV at the edge of the Walmart parking lot where Edwin was born.

Annie was one of the few humans who could speak the language of the crows and Edwin and his friends would listen for hours as Annie told stories of her life.

During a cold and dark day in the middle of Winter, Annie told a story about a special baby who was born long ago in a place called Bethlehem. Edwin had a little trouble understanding some of the story, but he liked hearing about the animals in the manger.

After the story, Annie had a plateful of cookies for all the assembled birds. Edwin tried to think of something he could give to Annie, but as he glided over the parking lot all he found was a discarded piece of aluminum foil.

"Merry Christmas Edwin" Annie said as she fashioned the foil into a star and placed it at the top of her tiny Christmas tree.

"Swamp Girl" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Daniel was sitting on his porch and listening to the sounds of the night when Swamp Girl first appeared to him. She emerged from the marsh that bordered his property and wore a garment woven from the plants of the wetland.

Nearly every evening, Swamp Girl would come for a visit, and Daniel would listen as she told humorous and strange tales of the marsh.

One night their visit was interrupted by the intrusion of a Mr. Jennings who was president of a nearby homeowners association. Even though the HOA had no jurisdiction over Daniel's property, Mr. Jennings felt the need to complain about Dan's old truck and his overgrown yard.

After several minutes, Daniel grew weary of the tirade and showed  

Jennings to the door. Dan returned to the porch, but Swamp Girl was nowhere to be found.

A few days later, he heard that Jennings had disappeared without a trace. When he mentioned the incident to Swamp Girl, a wisp of a smile formed on her lips and then was gone.

"Give me a light" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

The young woman came out of the gloom of the parking lot and asked Peter if he had a light for the cigarette that dangled from her lips. He didn't have a light and told her as much, Unfazed, she asked him if he wanted to see her pet.

Before Peter could answer, the woman brought forth a hideous worm-like creature from beneath her coat. He tried to think of something positive to say about the animal but nothing came to mind. The young woman was apparently offended by his silence and disappeared back into the darkness of the parking lot.