Category Archives: Short stories

Big

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Jack scrubbed his finger back and forth under his nose. Uncle Lew said, “Does the wee lassie want his Mummie?” in a very bad Irish accent.

“Shaddup and leave the kid alone,” said Aunt Mil. “He probably does want his Mom. Come on Jack, you can help me in the kitchen.”

Jack followed Aunt Mil through the French doors. Uncle Lew said, “What a sweet little girl he is.”

“No wonder nobody’ll marry you, Lew,” snapped Aunt Mil. “You’re a sloppy drunk and an asshole besides.” Aunt Mil shook her head. She asked Jack, “D’you want to punch down the bread?”… Read the rest

The old ball game

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Ray threw the ball, and his dog Moose bulleted across the yard in pursuit. The ball hit the garden shed and ricocheted off to one side. Just before he, too crashed into the small building, Moose diverted with a stumbling skid and shot over the ball, which bounced to a stop. The dog leaped up, spun in midair, and came down on top of his helpless prey, which remained fixedly rubber and inanimate.

From the patio, Sharee asked, “Doesn’t he ever bring the thing back?”

“Yeah,” said Ray. “When he’s killed it dead enough.”

He drifted back to sit by Sharee.… Read the rest

Velvet Verbosity: Hurrying

Posted on by February 25, 2020

This week, Velvet Verbosity’s word is Hurrying!

_____________________________________________

“I’m hurrying!” Elsie ran past her Mama.

Mama turned around to shut the door, but Elsie pattered up the sidewalk. She didn’t pay any attention to the cracks that threatened to stub her toes. She arrived panting at the corner only moments before the yellow bus slouched into view. Finally, it hissed to a stop and the door screeched open.

Elsie screamed, “LISSA!” and then she threw herself at a bigger girl climbing down.

Lissa said, “You’d think I’d been gone weeks!” But she stroked Elsie’s brown head and smiled. “I’m back now duckface.  … Read the rest

Uncle Walt

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Nikki asked, “Did you smell Uncle Walt’s room?”

“Horrible.” I took another bite of cereal.

She turned to our mother. “I think he died last night.”

“Nichole Ann, that’s rude.”

“I’m serious Mom!” Nikki balled up her fists. You don’t have to walk past him every morning. Why did you even ask him to come?”

“Walter’s only been here three days, and he’ll be up soon. Show some respect.”

“Respect. Hah. He’s dead.” Nikki grabbed a bowl and sat beside me.

Uncle Walt always stank. He called himself a ‘bath optional’ kind of guy. My first memory of him is throwing up from the stench when he picked me up.… Read the rest

Malaise

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Renee woke from a dream about a bee swarm to find the temperature had gone up in the night and the kitten had become embedded in her left arm. “Get off, Tabby. I hate these pills,” she muttered. But she didn’t. Although they put her into such a deep sleep that she had twice now slept through kitty claws, the pills made it possible to get out of bed at all by the light of day. Groggy, she could manage.

As soon as she had peeled the little cat away from her forearm, she lumbered off to the bathroom. A series of pathetic and increasingly louder mewls followed her when she shut the door with the feline on the other side.… Read the rest

Long time coming

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Reverend George Lee
Once upon a time, a girl was born. Let’s call her Mary.
Lamar Smith
Mary was born in a small house, and there was no electricity.
Emmett Louis Till
Some nights, when she was little, she and her mother blew out the candles and hid under the bed.
John Earl Reese
And some nights, her father hid with them.
Willie Edwards, Jr.
But other nights, her father sat on the porch and whispered, “I dare you, I dare you, I dare you bastards.”
Mack Charles Parker
One night, her father didn’t come back in, and the next day, Mary and her mother moved into town.… Read the rest

Method of Entry

Posted on by February 25, 2020

“Why do you want to borrow my collective’s tunneler. And what makes you think I’d give it to you?”  Jay Harris stood in front of me in the middle of the sidewalk.

“So I can kill Leonard Grady.”

“Jesus!” Jay flinched like I’d just shot him. “What did he do to you? Why would I help you out? And now we’ve been seen out walking in public…”

“You talk like I’m going to get caught, Jay. I’m not.” I squared around to face him. “Leonard killed Maggie.” I tried to keep my inflection flat. I wanted him to think I could keep my emotions together.… Read the rest

Inviting water

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Anna said, “I’m sorry, Mom.” She looked out the kitchen window towards the traitorous pool, where she would not be swimming today, after all.

“I just wish you’d told me sooner.” Kaya drank her herbal tea slowly. She pushed a second cup towards Anna, who didn’t touch it.

Then Anna got up. She meant to leave, but instead, she grabbed her swim cover up off the back of her mother’s chair. She wasn’t cold, but she felt naked. The bikini had been ill advised.

Kaya set down her mug and rubbed her own temples. “There would have been more we could have done about it then.”… Read the rest

Lady or the tiger

Posted on by February 25, 2020

“Too bad they’re extinct.”  Rodney and Shara looked down on the electronic tigers. Shara traced her fingers along the glass, ignoring the little robot that was already descending to annoy away her hand and clean the places she had touched.

“They look so real,” said Rodney. “But I don’t think I would want to meet one of those on the street.”

“They didn’t play on the street.”

“You know what I mean. If I saw one of those things outside of a zoo, I’d run so fast I’d leave my pants behind me .”

Normally, Shara laughed at Rodney’s absurd descriptions.… Read the rest

Bad Break

Posted on by February 25, 2020

Michael and Aura shacked up for six weeks in the seventies, but after a month of constant bickering, they made it to splitsville well before the altar. Michael was a poet. Aura was an accountant. Nobody was surprised.

After that, they were off-again-on-again during the eighties, until Aura married a guitar player and Michael tried to kill himself. They hardly spoke for twenty years. Then, they met at a New Year’s party and Aura reignited Michael’s flame with a drunken mistletoe kiss. Michael had been taking Prozac to cool the burning in his chest that was slowly drying up his heart.… Read the rest