Category: Writing

Let’s Look at Caring for Carole

This story, Caring for Carole, benefited quite a bit from me setting it aside for a good three and a half years. I started this story during the third quarter of 2021. But I did not finish it until 2025. The prompt word was village.

Background

When I first started this story, my mother-in-law had passed away fairly recently (my father-in-law was already gone some seven years by that time). My mother was still alive.

My dad was okay. In addition, my folks were still living relatively independently in Huntington Station, New York. I believe they may have still been driving, but not for terribly long distances.

But by the time I wrote this story, my mother had been deceased for two years. My father lived in essentially assisted living/memory care.

And so, Caring for Carole ended up becoming pretty personal to me. But having the huge break led to a radical change in my perspective. And I feel that change truly helps with the plot and its execution.

And yes, I am well aware that some of the bigger characters are A, B, C, and D. That much is by design.

Plot of Caring for Carole

While his father spends time in a rehab facility to recover from the effects of two strokes, and his mother slips further into dementia, Dean Ellis prices care facilities while his marriage falls apart and he sees enormous, insurmountable bills in his future.

At the same time, the nearby Lenape Square Theatre is trying to keep from going under. Dean’s mother Carole had been a dancer. Could Dean put these two issues together and help make something greater than the sum of its parts?

Characters

The characters are Carole Ellis, her son Dean, her husband Abe, Olivia Metzger, Frank Hernandez, Joey Hernandez (and his wife or girlfriend, although I don’t name her), Macy (the home health aide), Zoning Board chair Erika Baily, Tawanda Leland and her son Danny.

There are also four named partners at the law firm where Dean works as a paralegal.

Memorable Quotes from Caring for Carole

It takes a village to care for a person with dementia.

Carole had been a housewife and a dancer. She had always said, if she hadn’t met Abe, she would have become a Rockette.

Dean had no idea if any of what his mother had said was true. Was it idle braggadocio? Or was it an underlying, below the surface resentment at having been relegated to a provincial life just outside of Wilmington, Delaware, in a town called Claymont?

Or was it even a resentment of his own birth? Dean tried to think about other things, anything other than that, for his mother was locked in an ever-shrinking world.

With his father in rehab after his second stroke, Dean was on his own. Beth had checked out of every aspect of their marriage already. This was no different.

So, it was just Dean. And, maybe, a community if he could find one.

Rating

The story has a K+ rating, as there is some foul language. But the real issue, which is unfortunately nonfiction, is that elderly folks in America have so few choices.

Takeaways for Caring for Carole

I kinda like how it comes together at time end, a bit like a show. At the same time, though, it’s a bit too on the nose, and feels a little like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in those old Andy Hardy pictures, where they solve their problems by putting on a show.

Then again, that does fit in with Carole’s past. You make the call, Broadway show fans.

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Let’s Look at Babel 2.0

If the earth is ever horribly threatened, there could very well come a time when a small, disparate group of survivors would have to huddle together. If they don’t all speak the same language, then it’s practically inevitable that what’s left (and who’s left) will end up with a mish-mash of languages. Hence, Babel 2.0.

I wrote this story during the first quarter of 2021. The original prompt word was xenophobia.

Background

The Xolana from The Real Hub of the Universe are a pretty great villain alien species, if I do say so myself. But I didn’t use them enough in that trilogy. And so, I got the idea to bring them to the present day and have them attack, of all places, Revere Beach.

Babel 2.0 Plot

It starts off as a typical day at Revere Beach, about thirty miles northeast of Boston. But when Joanie and Lenny witness an alien species pull a small child into the water and drown her, it’s the start of an attack on the entire planet.

And when people start to realize that aliens are redistributing the Earth’s water, one thing is for certain. The aliens are playing for keeps, and they want our planet. We’re just in the way.

The only solution is to flee and get out of the water—which means mountaintops. Since Joanie can fix helicopters, she ends up in the Himalayas, where a stew of languages starts to turn into Babel 2.0.

Characters

The characters are Joanie Menotti and her brother Lenny, with Joanie being the main character. She refers to other survivors, like a guy named Dawa from Tibet. But they don’t get any screen time.

It’s Joanie’s perspective all the way, and the way she’s speaking, it seems as if she’s explaining for the historical record.

Memorable Quotes from Babel 2.0

When I first saw one, it was at Revere Beach. Lenny and I were sunbathing and drinking beers. Typical summer weekend. Then one of them rose up out of the water and it grabbed a kid—pail and shovel and all. Of course, her mother started screaming.

Lifeguards ran over, but it wasn’t exactly something they had trained for. The thing got two of the lifeguards before the others fled.

They were yelling at everyone to get back. That was when Lenny and I and everyone else snapped out of it. We all ran to the parking lot or the T. I thank God we took the MBTA that day, for we could fairly easily get outta Dodge. The next day, amidst the stories about the monster, the kid, and the two would-be heroes, there were reports of numerous crackups. It’s not like anyone was thinking of normal parking lot courtesy when all they wanted to do was drive away from that hellscape.

Then things got weirder. We started to see even more global warming reports than usual. Lowlands were getting flooded, that sort of thing. Indonesia sank, and so did big chunks of India and the Philippines.

Here, the mayor and the governor paid out the nose for every seawall to be shored up. Construction kicked into overdrive in Worcester and Springfield. If you could carry a shovel, you were brought on board, no questions asked.

Rating for Babel 2.0

The story has a K+ rating. While Joanie does describe some pretty horrible things, you don’t really see them on screen. Much.

Takeaways

I like to think (and hope!) that we can all set aside our differences if such a calamity were ever to befall our world.

With people and countries on a more or less equal footing, the only real way to communicate could very well be to toss everything into a linguistic blender and hit frappé.

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A Review of Jared’s World Turned Upside Down

Let’s take a look at Jared’s World Turned Upside Down.

I wrote this story during the first quarter of 2021. The original prompt word was wheel.

Background

Probably one of the most difficult and fraught decisions that the parent of a profoundly disabled child has to make, is what to do after they’ve passed away.

Who takes care of the child, who by this time is probably an adult, and may even be a senior citizen? And, what does the parent do if they have no one to take up the mantle, or if their choice of successor caregiver has already shuffled off the mortal coil?

Plot for Jared’s World Turned Upside Down

Jared Bailey is developmentally disabled and nonverbal. His mother has been his caregiver and sole companion for decades.

But she’s all out of money. Rosemary knows that the state will separate them once the bills really start to pile up and the town goes after her for the back taxes.

Her only solution is to drive them on twisty, wet roads; unbuckle their seat belts; and crash the car. It’s all in the hope that they will both die quickly and relatively painlessly. But her plans only work on one of them—herself.

When he comes to, Jared has been thrown clear. The car is upside down. Rosemary isn’t moving. There are sirens, and they are getting closer. But Jared doesn’t even know what a siren is, let alone what the people behind it may be able to do for him.

All alone for the first time in his life, Jared can’t even tell the cops or the emergency medical technicians what’s happened. He can’t even say who the dead woman is, and what she is to him.

Characters

The characters are Jared, his mother Rosemary, the clerk at the library, the teenager at the library, EMTs Chet and Emma, and Dr. Darren Parker.

Memorable Quotes

One February day, she drove to the library to return a stack of books. But this time, things were different.

“Mrs. Bailey,” said the clerk, “aren’t you going to borrow some more books?”

“Oh, I don’t think so. Time for a clean slate.”

“Well, I imagine you’ve read our entire adult section, or just about, ma’am.” The clerk paused. “Looks like this one is a little overdue. Shall I put it on your debit card on file?”

“Yes, please.”

“Twenty-six cents. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but pennies keep the library going.” The clerk frowned. “Looks like your card was denied. Do you have another one we could try? Far as I can tell, the one on file hasn’t expired. I’m thinking it’s just, well, empty.”

“I don’t have another card. Let me see what I have on me. Jared, don’t touch that, dear.” Rosemary dumped about half of the contents of her purse out, hunting for change. There was lint, and there were tissues and an ancient lipstick. But not enough in coins. “I’m afraid all I’ve got is eleven cents.”

The entire transaction had taken long enough that there was a teenaged boy behind them, waiting. “Hang on, I’ve got a quarter,” he said, producing it.

“There. All paid up,” said the clerk, handing a nickel and five pennies back to Rosemary.

“Young man, here’s ten cents toward what I owe you.”

“Nah, it’s okay, ma’am.”

Rating for Jared’s World Turned Upside Down

The story has a K+ rating. Rosemary’s plans are brutal, but she doesn’t completely get what she wants.

Takeaways

I’m not so sure I like the ending for this one. Jared is all alone, and there’s no real closure. But then again, anyone in his position would live a rather precarious life. Maybe not giving him closure is more realistic. I am open to criticism and suggestions, as always.

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Let’s Look at Guilty of Imperfection

I started to write Guilty of Imperfection during the third quarter of 2021. But I did not finish it until the first quarter of 2025.

Background

With the word guard as the original prompt, it had to be a prison story. But rather than writing about an escape, I decided I would rather write about a set of prisoners who would have to endure a number of indignities.

Originally, the section called Standards was its own very short story. But then I decided to subsume it into this, the longer tale. I also swapped some names, so the main character became Jennifer Wesley rather than Rose Emerson.

Plot

The successor to the USO still sends out entertainers, even hundreds of years later. But during the Ziranqui war, chorine Jennifer Wesley is captured.

Over the course of at least a year and a half, she works to gather intelligence, keep the guards off balance, and maintain her dignity, even in the face of torture.

And when more prisoners are added to the mix, her job becomes clearer: the Ziranqui want them to breed slaves.

Characters

The human characters are Jennifer Wesley, Levi Crowley, Rose Emerson, Dana, Lena, Andrew Logan, Rick, Anjali Singh, Charlie Logan, Jaya Crowley, and Ines Rodrigues.

There are also Ziranqui characters, but I don’t really name them. They’re essentially just a couple of guards and the monarch.

Memorable Quotes from Guilty of Imperfection

The same guard came closer to her cell and threw something made of cloth at her. At least it was soft.

“What the hell?” she sputtered.

“Just put it on.”

“Why?”

“I don’t recall you getting inquiry privileges.”

Okay, here’s some nice, juicy bait for you. “Then you obviously don’t know. Heh, sorry about the higher ups not trusting you.” She shrugged.

“They trust me just fine.”

“But you don’t know.” Jennifer tossed her hair and gripped the cloth. It was the color of the insides of an avocado.

“I know plenty.” The guard’s voice took on an edge of frustration.

That’s it. There’s the spot. Oh, I didn’t torture my little brother for nothing. Sibling rivalry for the win, ‘cause some skills just never leave you. “Oh, really? Like what?”

“Just put the garment on and stop asking questions.”

“Can I get a little privacy here?”

“No.”

“Oh, does my naked body turn you on, or something?”

“Hardly. The bodies of vermin hold no appeal.”

I bet this is something else I could leverage. “You sure about that?”

The guard rushed out of there.

Worked like a charm.

Jennifer put on what was almost like a Greek-style gown, although it was ridiculously short. Short enough for everyone to see the last time I waxed.

Rating for Guilty of Imperfection

The story has a K+ rating. The Ziranqui are far from nice, but at least most of the really bad stuff doesn’t happen on screen.

Takeaways

I think this one gives some more depth and menace to what is becoming my go-to villain alien species. And as for Jennifer, she gets more to her than would appear on the surface.

Who knew a future chorus girl could withstand torture?

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A Review of A Crime in Time

Let’s look at A Crime in Time. The prompt was the word chance.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021.

Background

For this story, I wanted to write about something I have actually explored in fan fiction. This short story is wholly unrelated to that, except for the plot conceit of a time traveler siring children who are older than he is. That is, they are temporally paradoxical.

Plot for A Crime in Time

Rob, an employee of Salene’s at a time travel agency, has discovered that another employee has been changing time to his own ends. This is a capital offence, and they will need to turn that man—Donald Forman—in, to the authorities. There is no getting around this.

As Salene and Rob, and eventually Sergeant Lennox start to piece Don’s adventures in time together, they start to realize that he has effectively become a temporal Lothario. And he’s changed time to benefit his ancestors, his contemporaries, his descendants, and his temporally paradoxical offspring.

Characters in A Crime in Time

The characters are Salene, Rob, Don Forman, and Sergeant Lennox. There’s a crowd, and a number of people from the past are mentioned, but they don’t get any screen time. The crowd gets less than half a page of screen time.

Memorable Quotes

“Look, I love the fact that we can check up on them as much as anybody else,” Salene said, “but this is just, it’s ridiculously granular. How the hell do you expect anyone, or a bunch of AIs or whatever, to watch all this footage? And to what end?”

“We have to know if anyone in the organization is using time travel to their own ends. We’re not going to find it in grand, sweeping gestures. We are going to find it in little nitpicky shit like this.” Rob advanced to the next animated slide. “See this?”

“Looks like a guy rescuing a woman’s art portfolio from falling into a puddle. So?”

“So that’s what it looks like on the surface. But this, this moment right here?” He let the animated slide play, and it showed a scene surreptitiously recorded by the department’s time traveling equipment.

“Yes?”

“She gets the job. She works hard, makes decent money, and is fine even after her kids are born and her boyfriend dumps her.”

“A happy ending is nothing to discipline anyone for, Rob.”

“Salene, she’s his great times eleven grandmother.”

“Now I’m interested.”

“I figured you would be.” He punched codes into mid-air, and now there were two somewhat similar animated slides, playing side by side.

“What am I looking at?”

“Here is her dropping the portfolio, but there’s no knight in shining armor to rescue it.”

“I take it she loses her opportunity?”

Rating for A Crime in Time

The story has a T rating. Don attacks Rob pretty viciously. And Don’s purpose in going back in time isn’t to sell Girl Scout cookies—it’s to commit temporal incest with a number of his female forebears.

Takeaways

I like how this one turned out. It takes some of Sharon Ensley’s details and more or less serves as a prequel. It’s a kind of time frame where the rules aren’t quite set yet.

I also liked using the name Salene, from The Tribe!

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Let’s Look at Mina’s Mission

When I was researching what became The Real Hub of the Universe, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Pinkerton had hired female detectives. And so, Mina’s Mission covers a possible mission during the US Civil War.

I started to write this story during the third quarter of 2021. I finished it in the first quarter of 2025. The original prompt word was local.

Background

These days, it’s almost a matter of course for a country at war to attempt to end the life of the opposing leader. Not only would it throw the enemy into disarray, but it could also potentially demoralize great, big swaths of soldiers and true believer-type patriots.

And so, I got to thinking about how it would all go down if this method was used in the 1860s.

Plot

Wilhelmina Kelton works as one of the only female agents in the Pinkerton Detective Agency. But in 1862, the war is going rather badly for the Union.

And so, a plan is devised to assassinate Jefferson Davis. Pinkerton chooses Mina because no one would ever suspect a woman. To further demoralize the South, it would be the height of shame for the president of the Confederacy to lose his life at the hands of a woman.

For poetic justice, the idea is to commit the deed on July fourth. Mina’s mission is to deliver the bomb.

Characters in Mina’s Mission

The characters are Mina Ferguson (Kelton), Allan Pinkerton, Miss Katie, Mervin Curtis, Mr. Taylor, Mrs. Bradford, and Joseph, a nosy kid on the train, who is with his mother. I mention Pinkerton, but he’s never on screen.

Memorable Quotes

A young mother and her son got on at Fredericksburg and sat across from Mina.

“What’s in the bag?” asked the boy.

“Joseph, that’s rude,” said his mother.

Mina stayed silent. It’s a bomb. There’s no way I am telling you.

“But Mama, I want to know.” Joseph was probably around four. His pout and his folded arms threatened to turn into a tantrum.

“It is not your business.” His mother turned to Mina. “I do apologize. He’s an inquisitive child.”

“It’s probably a sign of intelligence.” Mina turned to Joseph. “Do you know what your Mama has packed in her bag?”

“Well, sure I do. It’s handkerchiefs, and—”

Mina held up a gloved hand. “Not another word. See, that’s not my business. But whatever she’s packed, I probably have more or less the same thing.”

“Oh.”

The rest of the trip passed in silence as the train picked up or discharged passengers at, seemingly, every crossroads in Virginia.

Rating for Mina’s Mission

The story has a K+ rating. There’s nothing violent on screen, but the reader knows what Mina is trying to do. In addition, she suffers what at the time people would have called overly aggressive wooing. But these days, we would call it sexual harassment.

Takeaways

This was a short story that was a kind of revelation for me when I picked it up after about three and a half years. I love the premise, and Mina really could get a full-length novel. The genre would most likely be alternate history.

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A Look at The Future Has No Foundation

Much like a lot of other 2021 stories, I rattled off The Future Has No Foundation pretty quickly.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021. There was no specific prompt word for it, so far as I can tell. It’s just kind of this odd idea I had for a story.

Background

I have written post-Apocalyptic stories before. But in this one, there is a separation of two different types of people. Yet it’s not as stark as in the science fiction classic, The Time Machine.

Plot for The Future Has no Foundation

Minao hunts and gathers. She’s an older woman, feeling the weight of the world. But her world is turned on its head when a young teenaged girl named Tisa sits down to share Minao’s fire with her.

Minao is shocked that Tisa doesn’t know any number of fundamental truths about the world, like how to gather acorns, or how to hunt. And when Tisa starts to describe an almost magical place called the inside, Minao cannot believe that it’s real.

Characters

The characters are Minao and Tisa, and Tisa’s parents, Aven and Dhabi.

Memorable Quotes

She was a little thing, most likely still a teenager. “May I share your fire?”

“Only if you don’t attack me,” I said.

“I won’t.” She looked down. “Is that a big problem around here?”

“Where have you been, that you don’t know this?” I asked.

“Uh, away.”

“I see.” Suspicion was growling in my heart. “Have you eaten?”

“Just a little.”

“Here, “I said, handing her some of the acorns, hot from the fire. And it was extraordinary.

I’ve been making fires and tending to them for so long that my hands are scarred, and the burning does not bother me. My hands are even rougher from digging in the dirt or pulling out splinters or the like. But her hands were smooth, and she dropped the acorns as she cried out, “They’re so hot!”

“And you expected any differently?”

“No, I don’t suppose I did.” To change the subject, I suspect, she added, “I am Tisa.”

“Minao. You’d better pick up your acorns, for when they cool down, a bold squirrel is likely to take them.”

Rating for The Future Has no Foundation

The story has a K rating.

Takeaways

I like to think that wisdom will still be respected, even if the world seems to have ended. Both sides have important pieces of the puzzle.

And I also like to think that people can slowly learn to trust each other again. I certainly hope so.

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Let’s Look at Courier to the Soviets

A Courier to the Soviets was the kind of short story I rattled off quickly in 2021, in response to a single prompt word—declaration.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021.

Background

Upon looking at my prompt (I write these myself), I decided that the way I was going to interpret the word would be like a customs declaration. So, this would be as opposed to a declarative sentence or the like.

Plot for Courier to the Soviets

It’s 1961. Soviet operative Priscilla Hughes has a relatively easy job ferrying documents, money, secrets, microfilm, and other helpful articles from New York to Moscow.

A true believer in the other side, she has no qualms about spying for Khrushchev or batting her eyes at Castro. She has a routine, to fly from Idlewild to Madrid to East Berlin to Leningrad and then to Moscow. And then back again.

But things go south—literally—when she’s sent to Havana in mid-April of 1961.

Characters

The characters are Priscilla, her Parisian contact (Louvre Twelve), an unnamed contact in America, a supervisor (perhaps two; I don’t go into a lot of detail these these) to send her places, and a contact in Cuba.

Memorable Quotes

The fellow in front of her had his briefcase searched. An orange. A bottle of sangria. A pair of plastic castanets that were probably intended for a daughter or a niece.

The customs official took the alcohol and the orange and led the guy to the side.

Priscilla watched as he reached into his pocket, maybe for a few bills so he could get his bottle back.

“Miss Hughes?”

“Oh, yes. Here.” She put her train case on a table separating her from a customs agent.

“Just coming back from Madrid?”

“Yes. Spain’s a lovely country.” Which she had only seen from the airport, as she’d changed planes for the fourth time. Moscow to Leningrad. Leningrad to East Berlin. East Berlin to Madrid. Madrid to Idlewild.

“I gotta ask you, miss. Any fruits or vegetables to declare? Any liquor?”

“No, and no.”

He never opened the case, just returned it to her. She got her overnight case from Baggage Claim and hailed a taxi.

“Islip airport,” she said to the driver.

“One airport to another, eh? That’s gotta drag anyone down. But you look fresh as a daisy.”

No small talk. I’m not in the mood. She ignored the cabbie and just stared out the window as the cab pulled on to the Southern State Parkway.

With relatively light traffic, the cab made it to Islip in around 45 minutes. The cab got her to the departures area, the driver even carrying her luggage for her.

Once he was paid and gone, she took her stuff and walked to the arrivals area.

Rating for Courier to the Soviets

The story has a K+ rating. While nothing happens on screen, Priscilla is definitely thinking of seducing nearly any guy she sees.

Takeaways

I really enjoyed writing what was essentially an anti-hero character. I don’t honestly want readers to empathize with her, or root for her to win anything. But if they decide to, I won’t stop them.

I meant for Priscilla to be a kind of jetsetter character, almost like the kind of woman the very real Frank Abagnale, jr. would have met. But unlike Abagnale, she’s a traitor.

And, since her time coincides with that of MJ Tanner, she could conceivably run into the main character from The Duck in the Seat Cushion. But Priscilla would probably dismiss MJ outright, thinking she’s just some dumb hayseed.

And let’s face it: you underestimate MJ at your own peril.

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Let’s Look at A Touch of Gray Hair

A Touch of Gray Hair came about because I was entering a contest. And to this day, I think the prompts and sentences they gave were pretty terrible. Just awful, and without any real way to weave much of a story around them, truth be told.

At least, not a story that I have ever wanted to tell.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2019.

Background

I can’t honestly recall the name of the place? Zine? Whatever, which called for a submission like this. All I know is that they provided the first and last lines, maybe even the first and last paragraphs. Apart from that, you could do whatever you wanted.

I settled on a weird comedy. A very weird comedy. And, seeing as it was to take place in the Pacific Northwest, it had to have Bigfoot.

Yes, Bigfoot.

Plot for A Touch of Gray Hair

Angela and Dan are driving along a dusty highway where everything is a whole helluva lot of dull sameness. When they hear a chainsaw one day, Angela goes to investigate. And she hurries up when she realizes Dan has become as gray and dull as the rest of the landscape.

When she finds Bigfoot wielding the chainsaw, she faints. And when she comes to, she learns the creature’s name is Stuart. He’s lonely. And he bakes amazing cinnamon muffins. But she knows she’s not the woman for him.

Characters

The characters are Angela; Dan; Bigfoot (Stuart); and Stuart/Bigfoot’s love, Miss Muriel Hirsute. Mentioned but not seen are Big Hank (Angela’s estranged husband) and Little Hank (her and Big Hank’s son).

Memorable Quotes

She was on the downslide of her fifties, and the last time the world hadn’t looked like a soggy, limp dishrag had been when she was fourteen. She smiled wryly for a moment. Color. There had been a carnival in town once. The sights had been bright and dizzying. Now it seemed as if that had happened on another world.

Dan got out of the driver’s side and shut the door of the El Dorado. Even sounds were tamped down and muddied. A slam, instead, was a dull thud. Slaps were clunks. Gunshots were muffled reports. He pointed in the direction of the chainsaw sounds and looked at her quizzically.

She nodded and remarked about the chainsaw. Why did it sound so crisp? Nothing else had in decades. It made no sense. And things that made no sense were enough to make anyone nervous in these, the Dull Ages, her unofficial name for the past four plus decades of gray, clunking sameness.

Rating

The story has a K rating. Nothing untoward happens, although the story is still pretty damned weird. So, proceed at your own risk, I guess.

Takeaways from A Touch of Gray Hair

I was going, more or less, for madcap. But instead, the story is kinda blah, I will be the first to admit. There are a ton of holes in it, and odd stylistic choices. So, it’s no wonder that A Touch of Gray Hair didn’t win the contest.

In a lot of ways, it’s as gray as the vibe that I (or maybe the contest runners; I can’t recall any more) was going for. Ah well, they can’t all be gems.

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A Review of What’s an Animal?

If global climate change really goes out of control, then there’s every possibility that, eventually, people in the future will be asking: what’s an animal? That is, if we were to survive such catastrophic upheavals in our world.

Chances are exceptionally good that we would not. And so, that makes this one a more farfetched story than a lot of the others I’ve written which take place here on Earth.

I wrote this story during the second quarter of 2024. That year, I was generally not using prompt words. So, this short tale has a somewhat different origin story.

Background

With no prompt word, this story, rather, is the result of a thought experiment.

What would happen if we were the only animals left? There would be plants but no critters. No beef, no bees, and no bears.

Among other things, human beings would have to pollinate plants, or we would have to program some sort of robotic or quasi-robotic help to do that task for us.

By itself, this would have to be an undertaking on a global scale. I cannot fathom any way that this would not be an exceptionally expensive undertaking.

As a result, this story doesn’t take place in our immediate future. It kind of can’t.

Plot for What’s an Animal?

A future post-climate change world is turned upside-down when, for the first time in decades, a young girl finds an actual living animal—an earthworm.

What does this discovery mean for humans? Does it foretell a better future? Or is it just a nasty reminder that we’ve messed up the planet beyond all recognition?

Characters

The characters are Cherish Wilton (she’s the POV character); her teacher Mrs. Alpert; her little sister Adore; their parents, Ted and Evelyn; Professor Linton; Marcia Lee, the innkeeper; Marcia’s three brothers; the mayor; and Premier Natasha Ivanova.

While Cherish and her family have the same last name as the family in Small Acts of Defiance, I don’t intend any relationship between them.

Memorable Quotes from What’s an Animal?

It was a small thing, barely the width of my palm. I set my tablet to filming mode and filmed it as it crept slowly along the forest floor. I heard more rustling behind me. I turned, and it was Adore. “Where were you?” she asked.

“I was here. Where were you?”

“Around. What do you have there?”

“Come and see. It’s magnificent!”

Adore came over and I showed her the tiny creature under the leaves. “It’s kind of ugly,” she said after a while.

“That’s not a very kind thing to say.”

“It’s not like it can hear or understand us. Er, can it?”

“I don’t know if it can hear at all,” I said. “And I’m sure it can’t understand us. Look at how it moves. It’s fascinating.”

“It doesn’t have any arms or legs,” said Adore. “Do you think maybe it used to, and it was in some horrible accident?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “I think this is the way it’s supposed to be.”

Rating for What’s an Animal?

The story has a K rating. While there isn’t really much that’s untoward that happens herein, the mere thought of how we could get this way is more than a trifle upsetting.

As it should be.

Takeaways for What’s an Animal?

I like how the ending has the people working to try to take back the planet. That there’s this marvelous discovery, and it reminds them that nature is astounding and we need to protect it.

I just hope that, in real life, things never get as dire as they do here. And at the same time, if anything like this happens, I hope the government would not try to suppress the finding like they do here (oops, spoiler alert!).

Because people should know just how vital animals truly are to our existence, and that of our world. And we should never, ever take them for granted, or believe we can live without them.

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Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then check out some of my other articles about my shorter works.

Short Stories

Finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

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