“Brilliant Emptiness”–from Difficult People

Brilliant Emptiness
 
 
          Man, he really suffered, twisting there in suspension all that summer. My god, he wondered, where are they? Where are my rescuers? As the muggy suffocating damp dropped false pearl by pearl into the bucket of fatherless nonbeing…as emptiness opened up its maw…maelstrom to consume him, the money, food, booze, paper and ink [...]

“The Happy Silence”–from Difficult People

The Happy Silence
 
 
          The happy silence.
          Ricky? Are you there?
          No answer. Like walking in the dark. Skin nervous. Flash of lightning. Brightening pain. Pain.
          The lies made the pain.
          After he was cruel, then it was her turn.
          Don’t hold back. I’ve been a very bad boy.
          Yes. Yes you have.
          The strap [...]

“Cabana Boy”–flash fiction, Difficult People

Cabana Boy
 
 
          My God she was beautiful. I never thought about being a love slave. But there I was living as her cabana boy. Talent? Oh, she could act. She could dance and sing, she could swing on a trapeze and somersault. She could cook too and sew; she designed many of her own costumes [...]

“Jewel of the Rockies”–from Difficult People

Jewel of the Rockies
 
 
          Best remember, you’ve got a long ride ahead of you. The snow may catch you in the mountains. The boys here at Summer’s Peak…they got the idea last week of a pool, a betting pool, on whether the settlers up at Sunrise Valley made it through that avalanche ol’ Beggar Tompkins [...]

Pimp Daddy of Monticello–Difficult People

Pimp Daddy of Monticello
 
 
          New England winter weather aside, the rhythmic syncopation of the train wheels, awakens my pen and issue forth progeny of jagged thoughts. Now, about those Founding Fathers. We’ve all heard Father George never met a comely Christian woman or church pew he could refuse.
          Let’s not get too prudish. There’s a [...]

East of Our Garden–flash fiction, Difficult People

East of Our Garden
 
 
          What a very great shame, Purvis. The dear cat hasn’t been seen since. I’m surprised any of our neighbors even bother with us. Wretched thing to do. When you’re out of prison again it is my intention, an effort of unwavering will, to lead you across the lawn to the gazebo [...]

“To the Shore”–flash fiction, Difficult People

To the Shore
 
 
          Buttons. Bells. Pencils. Coins. Matchsticks. Bumptious curmudgeons. Foul weather fiends. Better butter let’s your hair grow long. My god, it’s Tim…and Sally. And their pooch Pal. Down the estuary road, past the lighthouse and the crab carcass we’ll show them later. After dinner. The muttering has begun. Grumpy today. A single cloud [...]

“Sudden Comfort”–flash fiction, Difficult People

Sudden Comfort
 
 
          Madness had come on gradually.
          There’s no accounting for really bad taste, she would say to her silent self, look at the slug I married.
          You don’t mean that he’d say, with his sad eyes.
          She’d smile…for his sake. But for her the mornings were tough, all that fresh energy, the sea around [...]

“Fraud”–flash fiction, Difficult People

Fraud
 
 
          You lying, cheating fraud you. You know every well you’ve cheated in your heart. You will always lust after beautiful young women. He tried to think…sacrifice your lust. Give it up. Suffer. Tell the truth. You just wanna fuck her. Just fuck. No family, no commitment. Just fuck. Call me when you’re horny, when [...]

“Old Love”–flash fiction, Difficult People

Old Love
 
 
          “Mother, you gonna shut those windows?”
          “Daddy, I thought you did.”
          “No, I’m not feeling good. Went straight to bed.”
          “Sorry, dear. I’ll close’m but you sure about that rain. I thought the man said the folks on the coast.”
          “We’re on the coast.”
          “Well, I don’t think fifteen miles would qualify as [...]