Douglas cuts metal pipes at a factory. Rumors abound: lose a finger, hit it big. He schemes a move to Atlanta. Calls Mom for advice. No answer. Leaves a message, Help. He slides the cutter within an inch of his finger and wipes away the sweat from his forehead. Calls Mom on break. No answer. Douglas smokes weed during lunch. Hours later, he watches blood spurt as his pinky flies into a box filled with pipe shavings. After Douglas gets home from the hospital, his dad calls. A trucker ran Mom over. Need you to chip in for the funeral.
Jeff Harvey: An ESL teacher, Jeff Harvey grew up near Memphis, but now calls San Diego home. His short fiction is in Bending Genres, Blink-Ink, 50-Word Stories, MoonPark Review, and others. He tweets @Jeff__Harvey.
The Centifictionist 
You must be logged in to post a comment.