james Squatting in the dark a mile underground, a feeble headlight her only illumination, Rene fiddled with a coffee can and double boiler. She leased time from a mining company to dig up cinnabar to smelt into mercury. The mining company needed mercury to extract gold, but mercury mining was illegal. Both the mercury and the … Read moreShimmery Deliverance
Andrew wiped off his hooves, considering himself in the floor-length, bathroom mirror. “Perhaps some antlers, for balance. Reindeer could work.” Andrew implanted horse hoof stem cells where his feet had been. Some replaced fingernails with talons, others chose bear fur head-to-toe. Alligator skin for some, fly eyes for a few, many chose prehensile tails or … Read moreProgress in a Fashion
Cloth in hand, Donnie cleaned every bottle and lamp. He spent his days at thrift stores, dusting the shelves of discarded bric-a-brac. Clerks nodded hello and left him alone. Born into an uneasy home, Donnie’s differentness increased the strain. His father looked for someone to blame, noticed his wife, and never came home. For decades, … Read moreAnother One Bites the Dust
Galen’s cigarette dimmed as his boozy brain struggled to calculate the tip. Julie, drunk and already wearing her jacket, wobbled as she waited on spiked heels. Her barbs at dinner now the usual course. Galen ignored it. No point in fighting. The pen slipped from his greasy fingers and reaching for it, he noticed his … Read moreUse Caution Near the Exit
The white lines of a country highway whizzed under the car as the headlights wobbled about like a set of googly-eyes, but George couldn’t afford to slow down. He knocked the lights loose as he made his escape and caromed off of dumpsters, parked cars, and a building. In the swirling light, he suddenly saw … Read moreA Giant Mess
A pale, weedy man with a severe hunch and baggy clothes stood in the lobby of a trendy restaurant, speaking to a chef festooned with tattoos. “No, it’s not salt water taffy.” “Then why make it in the ocean?” “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. This is something new, a delicacy, a very rare … Read moreThe Better Man
Silver mesh covered Donna’s head like a beekeeper’s hat. She wore as much copper jewelry on her ears, neck, nose, wrists, fingers, toes and ankles as she could carry. Some of the newer pieces left ugly green rings on her skin, but she hoped it meant that copper was leaching into her body. She had … Read moreFairies Tale
“I should be working for the Library of Congress,” Dwayne said to his dog Mr. Pickles who was busy pursuing a crumb of bacon under the stove. “I know how to catalog things, and find them again later. Sometimes years later!” Dwayne unboxed a collection of National Geographics he bought at a thrift store. Six … Read moreBibliophile of Neglect
Horace Mangrove stood at the edge of the dry goods counter, patiently waiting his turn. He observed a customer complaining about the quality of the flour purchased a week prior. “It was infested with weevils! My wife nearly died from shock as she made the morning bread and found more weevil than ground … Read moreThe Misfortune of Fortune
“Can you repeat the word please?” “Chihuahua.” “Could you use it in a sentence please?” “The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog.” “Chihuahua. C-h-i-h-u-a-h-u-a. Chihuahua.” “That is correct.” Natalee took her seat and focused on appearing calm. Inside, a roaring sea of panic raged, her heart beating against her chest like a rabid baboon … Read moreFailure’s Sting