Bob walked in looking more disheveled than usual. He cautiously poured himself a coffee instability was all over him. “Have a rough night?” I ask. I know he did. We can all see it on him crawling over him. We have all been there and know what happened, the entire office does. We ask to be polite at least they had not taken that from us yet. Bob sat down and looked me right into …
Disconnected
I loved that sound the soft pad of my finger made on the smooth glass of my device. I used to tap the send button on a text with gusto. I remember enjoying the sound design of Facebook. No one had better notification sounds than Facebook. It was like friendliness and effervescence with every notification from Messenger. Twitter did its best as well though not as friendly it managed to be important. It managed to …
The Ax
Work had been a real bitch the past few years. Mindless spreadsheets and reports, endless talking to clients and selling god knows what. Some days I would talk and fake smile so much my jaw ached. My young marriage was on the rocks and I just did not have the strength to fight or rather I had allowed that excuse to poison my outlook. Poisoned outlook aside, I was caught in the mire of apathy …
Hot Coffee
The coffee was hot. It was just the side of too hot. It was the highest temperature I could tolerate. The warm earthy liquid moved past my lips and down my throat into a vast ocean. The ocean was thick like honey and threatened to pull me under. It threatened to cover my head and keep me from ever breaching the surface again. I heard the voice of my father. He told me to keep …
Jasmine
“It finally got here!” Jerome thought as he unpacked the cardboard box. There had been several before it but none had held the one thing he needed, wanted. Jasmine his cat had been sick for some time and he had decided to save and go into some debt to extend his beloved animals life. Jasmine had been a constant in his life for nearly 15 years. Which is a long time for cats. He had …
Do You Like Me
Do you like me?Check one.Yes or No -Kyle Mrs. Chelby was talking in a way that carried weight and importance. The water cycle was a heavy subject full of subtle intricacies, and measurable realities. Kyle had been interested at first listening to the dance of liquid to vapor and back to liquid when his attention had been all but vaporized by a brightness out of the corner of his eye. The sun had sent a …
That is My Clock Work Demon!
Lord Burgahmont! I need to have words with you my gilded lamplighter has gone missing and it seems the one you wield right now is a striking doppelganger. Oh Lord Pelshfuit, it is indeed your gilded lamplighter as I absconded with it one fortnight ago as payment for my bejangled pony saddle you borrowed but never returned to me. How dare you Lord Burgahmont! I removed from your possession that magnificent bejangled pony saddle as …
The Extremely Offensive Dog
Research Log 1Dr. Wit: This is research log 1 for Chemical Social Enhancement (CSE). We will be attempting to improve social behaviors among a pack of dogs, through genetic changes to pheromone production. The dogs were chosen because of their sensitive olfactory organs and their tendency to define many aspects of their interaction through smell. I have researcher Chelsea Blee as my lab partner she will be helping me run and maintain the experiments. Chelsea: …
Southern Fried Monster
Why are you alive? The words came greasy from his lips. They slid through the air like southern fried snakes. Mocking me and sucking at me to beg. Why am I alive? Was it to be here today with a gun to my head? Was it to be here on my knees wondering about the meaning of life and how it might feel the few seconds it takes for a piece of metal to tear …
What A Coder Smells Like
The keyboard clicked and clacked as lines of code were written. Data was stored in variables, conditions were tested, and results were sent to views for human consumption. Input was received from the viewers of data and a new cascade of computational efforts was kicked off. Money was made and scripts were run. They will run again tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that. The Coder he codes. He writes and …