Madeleine Belden

I am an emerging writer in Chicago. My work has recently been published in Arkansan Review, Hive Avenue Literary Review, and The Write Launch. I was also the featured writer in the November 2021 issue of Share Journal. I am also the recipient of the Kelly J. Abbot open genre fiction contest (second place).

Old Boyfriend

Chapter One
Chase Richard Pitt–my first love–came back into my life at 3:57 p.m. on a Friday afternoon in October. Well, technically he walked into Paris Café, my modest thrift-store-decorated establishment, asking if he could get a bottle of water and a slice of quiche to go. I know the exact time because I close my café every day at four, and I was just heading toward the door.

Chronic Good Weather

The feel of the rope wakes me. Coiled above my breasts, underneath, and pinning my hips against the kitchen chair. Arms pulled behind my back; wrists tied together. The rope smells like motor oil. I have no right to be surprised by my husband. I’ve watched enough Law and Order episodes to know that behavior escalates. I feel as though I’ve been drugged.