Category: Showcase
This story was originally a contest submission in the Fall WritersWeekly 24 hour Short Story Contest. It didn’t win, but I like it anyway…
“I must have taken a wrong turn after the river, Daddy. The pavement stopped a while back and there’s nowhere to turn around.”
“Hold on, honey, I’m trying to find it on the map.”
“You’re starting to break up some.”
“I don’t see any dirt roads in that area. I’m hearing another voice on the line. It’s like a whisper, can you hear it?”
“No, I’m just hearing you and static.”
“hang… now…”
“Did you hear that?!”
“Did I hear what, Dad?”
“Hang up… can’t help now…”
“That voice, Melissa… Melissa?”
The line was dead.
I’d met Paul in early November. I had dined with other catamaran crews, and stopped for a last beer on the way out through the quay-side bar packed with yachties. Over a terrible meal of “rotis” we cat crews had all told outrageous “puking punter stories,” puking punters being our overwhelming favorite topic of conversation.
One of us is really old
She’s crotchety and demanding
Forgets she’s had her dinner
And yells till we come to understanding
Her friends despair of her
And wish her voice was sweeter
But it’s no good complaining
’cause no one wants to beat her!
Instead we grumble to ourselves
As we fill her bowl again
She’ll do exactly what she wants
Our dear old feline friend.
by Kim Davis
She clicked a switch and the big electric organ hummed to life. She stuck her tongue out and moistened her lips and the rings on all of her fingers clinked as she positioned her long boney fingers over the keys.
It’s come to it at last. Scuffles in broad daylight over the catnip patch.
