You slide the bag across the table, the hooded figure opposite you peers inside. “Where the hell did you find this?!”

“Never mind where I found it, it’s what we’re going to do with it now that we have to figure out.”

“Well, we’ll sell it, of course.”

“Sell the most valuable gemstone known to man? This thing is worth a fortune, and the second it gets into the wrong hands, we have no hope of seeing any profits from this.”

You reach to take back the bag, but the man pulls away.

“It’s mine now. Thanks for finding it.”… Read the rest

I never thought I’d be leaving the garden to go off and hunt for someone in the barren wasteland of the city we’d departed years ago.

They said he was seen heading East, toward the city, and I pictured him picking his way through the rubble of skyscrapers and dodging the sinkholes where bombs had landed in the streets or on top of buildings.

Then I wasn’t picturing it, I was there, stumbling over concrete and avoiding decades old ordinance, crossing no one’s path on the way to find him.

He left me for this nothingness, why should I bother?… Read the rest

When she heard them stirring in bed, she raced up the stairs to greet them.

She licked a forehead, she pounced on feet, she meowed them both wide awake and then bounded downstairs for her breakfast.

She was a good girl, and she knew it.

They were always holding her, petting her, giving her love and affection that some need in abundance, and some need none at all.

She needed an abundance of love, so she was in the right home, with someone who had an abundance of love to give.

What an incredible nine lives she had to spend.… Read the rest

I miss you, dear one, it’s cold and dark out here among the stars.

I miss the green and blue Earth and seeing the moon glow above us, but now I see no planets, no moons, only stars and other space stations.

I’m sorry, dear one, that we destroyed your home before you got a chance to enjoy it, and I’m sorry I didn’t take you with me when I left.

It’s cold and dark out here, dear one, stay down.

Better to breathe the poison and feel the radiation on your skin, right?

You don’t want to come up.… Read the rest

They bowed to to the machine, marveling the shine of its black plastic exterior, the long cord that came out of the back.

They were particularly interested in the two metal prongs coming from the end of a cord, they were quite tasty.

Things went in light and soft and came out dark and crisp, and they didn’t even need fire to make it happen.

When the aliens came, our president told them toasters were our general currency, so when they left, we just didn’t have toast for a while.

And everyone bowed to him, for saving us from aliens.… Read the rest