Tag: Short Stories

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?

I wrote this story during the second quarter of 2024. That year, I was generally not using prompt words.

Background

This story 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.

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.

Characters

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

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.

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!).

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A Look at Small Acts of Defiance

Given when I first wrote Small Acts of Defiance, it was a response to the first Trump presidency. Now, it’s come around again to being pretty dang relevant.

I like to think I’m nowhere near this prescient. In particular, that’s because I’ve got a lot of other short stories that are a lot less, shall we say, genteel, when it comes to our collective future.

I’m looking at you, Gentrification and What’s an Animal.

I wrote this story during the second quarter of 2021.

Background

The idea behind this story was to turn the standard tale of illegal immigration on its head. For here, the small acts of defiance aren’t to get Mexican (or South American) people into the United States. Rather, they are to get Americans to be able to cross the border into Canada.

Plot for Small Acts of Defiance

Susanna has always known that her parents were doing something odd with their time, and vaguely illegal. At twelve years old, and already looking and acting more grownup than her years, her parents start to initiate her into the family ‘business’.

And what is that so-called ‘business’? It’s to help people to cross over the border.

Characters

The characters are Susanna, her brother Crenshaw, and their parents. Oh, and an unnamed lawyer. I tell the story from Susanna’s point of view. She is a teenager through most of the story.

Memorable Quotes

We crossed when I was five. It was a simple thing then. You walk in, pretending like you belong. My father had a gift for mimicry so he could easily speak without an accent. He wore his most official-looking shirt, neatened up his moustache, and pretended to be hauling my mother and me in for some sort of questioning.

My mother was pregnant with my little brother then, but she wasn’t showing yet, so it didn’t look like she was trying to cross the border just to have him. Although that was their exact plan, of course—like countless others.

When I got older, my parents would disappear for days. My brother and I lived on the good graces and snacks of our next door neighbor. I learned how to make instant soup and grilled cheese sandwiches watching her.

We didn’t know what was going on, except we were sworn to secrecy for school. We had to say our neighbor was related. I wonder whatever happened to Aunt Jennie.

Rating for Small Acts of Defiance

The story has a K rating. The family’s fate isn’t so great, but at least it isn’t violent.

Takeaways

I’m not so sure how I feel about Susanna’s parents. Certainly, what they are doing is illegal. But is it the worst thing that a person could be doing with their time? Of course not.

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Let’s Look at Back, Front, and Side Pages

When I first wrote Back, Front, and Side Pages, I hadn’t written about time traveler Sharon Ensley yet.

And the more I think about it, the more I realize that this might be a decent story to fold into her time/timeline. The traveler could even be someone else in the department—maybe even someone who leaves or even someone who loses their job. Hmm.

After all, she’s much more entrepreneurial than the rest of the department. Perhaps there’s even some corruption there.

I wrote this story during the first quarter of 2021.

Background

I came up with Back, Front, and Side Pages as a parody of the old Byrds hit, My Back Pages.

My Back Pages can, at times, feel like a time travel song.

I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

So, while I realize that Bob Dylan was writing about disillusionment rather than time travel, I still think the song works, in a way.

And so, as a kind of thought experiment, I got to thinking about alternatives to back pages. Hence, front and side. And where do pages go? In a book, of course!

Plot for Back, Front, and Side Pages

Agents McAllister and Fernandez have on their hands what they believe is a harmless crackpot. After all, anyone who believes that time travel is real has got to be nuts, right?

Er, right?

As they play good cop/bad cop, the two officers debate about the reality of time travel. McAllister, who’s already playing the good cop, has an open mind about it. Yet Fernandez, in keeping with her role as the bad cop, dismisses it out of hand as being impossible.

But all is not it seems, as the woman in front of them tells them a few tantalizing details about an alternate universe, where Lincoln was never shot; the dodo never went extinct; and Lennon and McCartney wrote a song called Yesteryear, not Yesterday.

But at least their climate change is better.

Characters

The characters are time traveler Joli Parrish, cops Chuck McAllister and Mary Pat Fernandez, and another Joli Parrish who is native to Chuck and Mary Pat’s timeline.

Memorable Quotes from Back, Front, and Side Pages

Joli sighed again. This is way more than I would or should normally reveal. But getting out of the interrogation room is Job One. I can deal with any other fallout later. And maybe a kid’s explanation will suffice. She bit her lip before speaking. “Timelines are parallel. That is, they normally are. But my tech bends the lines, in a way. This allows for an intersection. But the intersection only goes so far. Can I borrow your notebook?”

“Sure,” said McAllister, handing it over.

“Let’s say page fourteen of this little notebook is the original timeline. The fourteenth page, even if the pages aren’t numbered. I bend the timeline, and it’s like dogearing page fourteen so it touches page fifteen. The lines intersect, and all of a sudden I’m on page fifteen. I can go back to page fourteen somewhat easily. And I can progress to page sixteen if I want to. But page two hundred and fifty is out of the question unless I step further and further along. I dogear page after page after page. If I go back or forward or sideways far enough, I’ll lose my place.”

“But can’t you, like, bookmark it, or something?” asked Fernandez.

“I thought you didn’t believe her, Mary Pat.”

“Let’s just say that me, I’m kinda intrigued. So, can you bookmark page fourteen?”

Rating

The story has a K rating. There’s no violence or bad language at all.

Takeaways

I like this explanation quite a bit. And since—maybe—Joli is corrupted, she may fit in well to explain some other issues with time travel I’ve got in my stories. But I don’t want her to be my only go-to villain.

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Let’s Go Back to Camp for a Review

I attended summer camp for several years when I was a tween and then a teenager, at three separate camps. These were fun and formative experiences. And, for the most part, they all took place during the same time this story is set in.

I wrote this short story during the second quarter of 2021.

Background

The most conventional of the three camps I attended was actually owned by my great-uncle. And so, a lot of what happens (such as the activities, and even the films), I lifted straight from Camp Ben-Ann in the 1970s.

Because this would not have worked with the horseback riding or wilderness camps I also attended as a teenager in the 1970s.

I also worked as a counselor for a more conventional place. But that was a day camp.

The prompt was the word: harmony.

Plot

Junior counselor Harmony is in charge of fourth grade girls, and is none too impressed. It’s the summer of 1978. She’s about 16 or 17, which means she was probably born in 1961 or 1962. Therefore, this makes her a member of the Generation Jones cohort.

Every bunk has to put on a skit for a talent show during Parents’ Weekend. With no real plan, Harmony ends up getting the girls to sing and dance to Night Fever from the hottest movie of the summer, Saturday Night Fever.

Just as she despairs of having any sort of a good time, she spots a cute guy in the audience. He turns out to be the older brother of Didi, the camper she dislikes the most.

Characters

The characters are Harmony, Didi, and Didi’s big brother Mickey. There are other people like the other girls in the bunk, Mickey and Didi’s parents, the director, and senior counselors. But I don’t give them any lines.

Memorable Quotes from Camp

I sat down on the grass with an ice cream cone—that was our big prize—and I was wearing my H shirt. I made it myself in Art. It’s all tie-dyed and stuff. One of a kind.

Voice behind me, some guy reading the back of my shirt which, just like the front, only has a big H on it.

He starts cycling through H names. I’ve heard this God knows how many times before.

Heather. Heidi. Holly. Hannah. Helene. Helen. Honey. Hope.

That he digs into the old, weird, and ugly H names for girls.

Henrietta. Hildegard. Harriet. Hortense. Hester. Hattie. Hedwig.

Then I guess he gave up, ‘cause I of course hadn’t turned around once.

Rating for Camp

The story has a K rating. There are only a few naughty words in there, and if you blink, you’ll miss them.

Takeaways

One of the things that really makes this story work for me is the fact that I remember someone had graffitied a bunk with the lyrics to the Elton John song, Harmony.

So, I guess Harmony and me are pretty good company, eh?

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Let’s Look at Saddle Up, Bank Teller!

For Saddle Up, Bank Teller, the prompt was just one word: renegade.

And what better kind of renegade than someone who is essentially in a western?

But all is not as it seems.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021. But I didn’t finish it under the fourth quarter of 2024.

Background

While a renegade is better defined as a person who betrays an organization or a country, I wanted this to be a story of someone who, yes, betrays an organization. But his reasons are spot on. So, he’s actually a good guy. Well…kinda.

This story essentially takes place after short stories like Aenor the Wanted and Viva André, but long before The Ides of the Secretarial Pool. Could all of these stories take place in the same universe, and the same timeline?

Maybe…?

In fact, this story could, conceivably, dovetail with Mina’s Mission. The two short stories are very close, when it comes to the years when they are set.

Plot for Saddle Up, Bank Teller!

When Dodge City bank teller Bruce Bergman is told to mischaracterize certain bank expenses, he knows there’s something unethical going on. But uncovering a conspiracy to commit fraud is just the beginning, as Bruce takes the money and flees to the New Mexico territory.

With the help of a sympathetic priest and an uncorrupted sheriff, can Bruce catch the bad guys without going to prison himself, or being caught on the wrong end of a pistol?

Characters

The characters are Bruce Bergman, Father Emil Alvarez, Carl Dempsey, John Corcoran, Fred Williams, and the sheriff, a man who Father Alvarez knows personally. But he just calls the man Raymond.

Oh, and just in case anyone’s wondering, yes, there were plenty of Jewish folks in the old west.

Memorable Quotes

Bruce made it to the mission after a few more days, just as the sun was setting. He got his horse to a stable and paid in advance and took the saddlebags.

Bruce walked back to the mission and the door opened for him. It was a priest, who had undoubtedly seen him arrive. “Come in, my child.”

“Thanks. I, I’m not a Catholic.”

“None of us are perfect.” The priest smiled. “What is your name?” He waved Bruce in and shut the door.

“Kenneth—Kenneth Delaney.” Delaney had been Bruce’s housemate at Harvard.

“I see. I am Father Alvarez. Why don’t you sit down?” He gestured at the closest pew.

“Well, I don’t want to disrupt things if you’re about to have services.”

“Not until tomorrow. How long have you been traveling, Mr. Delaney, is it?”

“Yes, Delaney. A few days. I know I must look a fright. I need a bath and a shave. My apologies for my appearance.”

Rating for Saddle Up, Bank Teller!

The story has a K rating. Despite the fact that everyone carries a gun—and is not afraid to use it—no one ever fires a shot.

Takeaways

While I am happy with how I ended this one, I still never really answered the question as to why Bruce took the money in the first place! Someone with his experience and education would undoubtedly know it wasn’t going to be a good look.

And even if he was relatively sheltered (the guy’s got a Harvard education, after all), he had to have realized there would be a lot of people, including officers of the law, who would shoot first, and ask questions later.

Having the goods on him wasn’t going to prevent someone from immediately assuming his guilt. To the contrary. Plus, of course, someone could have robbed him.

And so, even at the end, I don’t exonerate him. In fact, even the reader doesn’t really find out what happens to him. So, I think I’m okay with never answering what should really be the reader’s biggest and most nagging question.

So, is Bruce a good guy, or not? What do you think, gentle reader? And do you think it really matters in the end?

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Let’s Look at The New Kid

It’s no wonder why a lot of pilot episodes of series will have someone meeting everyone. It’s a natural way to get in exposition. Writing about a new kid is nothing new. And so, I figured I would give it a whirl.

I wrote this story during the first quarter of 2024.

Background for The New Kid

To introduce, perhaps, a whole new universe, what better way to do so than with a student exchange program?

Plot for The New Kid

Class stoner Charline (Charlie) Mahoney is chosen to represent all of Earth’s students in a cultural exchange program with an alien species, the Alphans.

As the only human on their planet, she has to navigate a world where she’s an ambassador with neither portfolio nor training.

Complicating matters are the facts that the Alphans have three genders, and bullies target Charlie at school.

But Charlie’s resilient, and just might come out of the experience better than anyone would have a right to expect.

Characters

Human characters are Charline Mahoney and Karen Perfetti (she’s the chaperone for Charline’s counterpart, Moonshine). I mention her parents, but I don’t think I ever name them.

The translating program gives the Alphans random nouns, as their names are unpronounceable. Sometimes, the names are pretty amusing, and sometimes they seem to be conferring value judgments.

Alphan characters include Moonshine, Lantern, Generation, Alewife, Schooner, Digger, Toad, and Smoke.

Memorable Quotes

Moonshine asked me the weirdest question the other day in their letter: what’s a country?

And so, I could have been really flip about it, but I wanted to do the work (God, what the hell happened to the old stoner me?), so I pulled the definition out of an old encyclopedia. It basically just means a politically drawn area where people live.

But I also asked them: why do you want to know?

Their answer kind of freaked me out: we don’t have them.

Rating for The New Kid

The story has a K+ rating. Charline gets into a fight and some of her language isn’t the kind of stuff you hear at tea parties.

Takeaways for The New Kid

So, I like Charline (Charlie), and I think she’s got some potential. But I’m not so sure where and when I can add to her overall story. So, I am hoping I can find a way to bring this somewhat reformed stoner back.

Oh and note: this isn’t the only story where I use a translator program that ascribes weird words when an alien one can’t be pronounced or readily understood. Another such story is Alien Allies.

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Let’s Look at Aenor the Wanted

A good nine hundred to twelve hundred years ago or so, some of the most extraordinary technology in the world was mechanisms used for grinding wheat. In Aenor the Wanted, her father owns such a device.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021. The one-word prompt was: mill.

Background

The early medieval period in particular is just so unknown to us. Records are sparse, and particularly the records of anyone who wasn’t a landowner. And women and girls? Forget about it, unless they were queens or princesses.

So, I wanted a situation to come up (which may very well have happened in real life) where a woman would become the owner of some valuable property. And make no mistake—Aenor is probably only about twelve years old or so.

After all, she’s not expected to live past her thirty-fifth birthday. And she’ll only make it that far if she’s very lucky. Still, she’s gotten past the biggest hurdle—surviving past her ninth year of life.

Plot for Aenor the Wanted

When a fever kills her brothers, the miller’s daughter, Aenor, becomes his sole heir.

Being wealthy means any man in the village wishes to court her. The blacksmith, the butcher, and the tailor all try to woo her. But then the lord’s youngest son sends a troubadour as his emissary to see if he can win the not necessarily fair, but certainly rich, Aenor.

Yet Aenor’s truest wish is to take the family wealth and use it to afford an instructor, so she can finally learn how to read. But that may be something that even the kindest husband would find frivolous.

Aenor and the Other Characters

The characters are Aenor, the daughter of the miller, and Wolfram, the lord’s troubadour. Her father is William. Three of her suitors are John Butcher, James Smith, and Michael Tailor.

There’s also Sir Richard the lord’s youngest son, and two cooks from the castle, Kate and Sally. Just like everyone else, their surname is just their profession.

Memorable Quotes

The butcher presented a literal fatted calf. “The bread and the meat go together, you see.” He looked her up and down. “Just like you and I will.”

I felt a chill scrabble up my back. He is loathsome. Perhaps the blacksmith will be better. I turned to face him.

The blacksmith was as old as my father. “My gift to you is this.” He presented me with an ornate wrought iron bar, crossed with a second such bar.

“What am I looking at?”

“A fence if you wish. Or the framework for a home. The fire will always be hot, and I will always have work.”

I nodded. Between the two of them, he is better. But is he the best? “Those are good qualities.”

“He is old,” the butcher sniped. “You will never hunger with me. And a fire will be unnecessary. I will—” he apprised me again, “keep you warm in other ways.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wolfram standing near the edge of a stream. He gazed at me briefly and then, I felt, he made as if he wasn’t watching.

“John Butcher,” I said, “If my father will not speak up for me, then I will speak up for myself. I do not wish to hear any more talk of bedroom activities. If you persist, then I shall refuse you.”

“Aenor!” My father was shocked. “You cannot say such things.”

“Papa,” I looked at him squarely in the eye, “If our circumstances were different, you would be insulted on my behalf. And you would have been doing everything in your power to vouchsafe my chastity.”

Rating for Aenor the Wanted

The story has a K rating. Nothing truly nasty happens, and even the ‘villain’ is well on his way to a better life by the end of the story.

Takeaways

I think this one turned out all right. But the ending is a bit too pat. Everyone gets something, and that’s quite simply not the way real life works. Particularly not life in medieval times.

And her name? It’s the same as that of Eleanor of Acquitaine’s mother. Eleanor quite literally was just ‘the other Aenor’.

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

Short Stories

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Let’s Take a Look at The Ides of the Secretarial Pool

I really love the concept of The Ides of the Secretarial Pool, which is essentially a retelling of Julius Caesar, but with a midcentury twist.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021.The single word prompt was: ambitious. And that got me thinking about, well, read on and find out.

Background

When I was practicing law in the 1980s, the secretarial pool was still very much alive and kicking. Far as I can recall, every clerical worker would start off there. And then the more ambitious among them would either be promoted to an executive secretary position or leave.

Many administrative assistants would end up staying in the secretarial pool for nearly all if not all of their careers. And when first word processors and then personal computers arrived on the scene, an employee’s only real choice was to embrace the change.

Or she (these were nearly always women) could leave, either voluntarily or not so voluntarily. Sometimes, this was due to starting a family.

Plot

In the 1970s (one character mentions President Carter), a group of secretaries try to bring down another woman who they just plain don’t like.

This story is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, taking place in a 1970s business office, with a catty group of clerical workers.

Characters in The Ides of the Secretarial Pool

The characters are Joan Chambers, the Julius Caesar character, and Bree, the Brutus character. Cassie is the Cassius character, whereas Kate is the Casca character. Amelia doesn’t really have an analogue in the original play, and stands in for all the other conspirators.

Plus there’s the mailroom attendant, Richard Davis, and the women’s boss, Mrs. Watson. Other executive types include Mr. Morgan, Mr. Wesley, and Mr. Benedict.

But only Wesley gets an real ‘screen time’. And yes, this is absolutely an era when the clerical staff would be called by their first names, and bosses by their surnames.

In addition, it’s also a time when women really did call each other ‘girls’.

After all, I witnessed all of this as late as 1986.

Memorable Quotes {the Characters are in the Company Cafeteria; Joan has Just Gotten Up}

“…. Damn, where’s she going?” Amelia nodded in Joan’s general direction.

“Off to suck up, I guess. Anything to get out of the typing pool. Makes me sick, girls.” Cassie frowned.

“I seem to recall that a few years ago, you also did just about anything to get out of the typing pool. You’re lucky Amelia and I took you under our wings.”

“Don’t spoil my fun, Kate. You’re almost as old as Joan.” Cassie’s tone took on an edge of menace.

“Cassie!” Amelia turned to Kate. “It was different back then. I mean, we liked Cassie. But Joan? Not a chance.”

“She needs someone to teach her a lesson.” Cassie narrowed her eyes. “But what?”

Rating

The story has a K+ rating. While there is no bad language or real violence, the conspirators are extremely nasty and they have no problem trying to ruin Joan’s life, just for kicks.

And the truth is, this one is nowhere near as farfetched as a lot of the other stories I have written, such as The New Kid. After all, sending the class stoner to meet aliens is kinda silly. But this story, eh, not so much.

Takeaways for The Ides of the Secretarial Pool

I really like how this one turned out, although I will be the first to admit that the idea of a dugout came from a recent re-viewing of Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

It’s got a kind of Mad Men vibe going on. The conspirators are jealous of Joan’s confidence and college education. As a result, they have qualms whatsoever about trying to knock Joan down as many notches as possible.

Whether she deserves it…or not.

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A Look at Martin’s Choice

During college, I was in a sorority. In fact, I served as the president of my chapter in 1981. And while hazing never went as far as it does in Martin’s Choice, there was definitely some going on.

But in this story, a kegger spiked with nasty hazing goes very wrong, very quickly.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021. But I didn’t finish it until the fourth quarter of 2024.

Background

Hazing is a very real problem in the fraternity/sorority (Greek) community. People have died, and some of that is due to the peer pressure/power imbalance inherent in a system with a rigid hierarchy. Plus, the pledges want very much to join and be accepted.

Some of the worst hazing happens when members leverage their positions and throw in malice to boot.

The prompt was just one word: keg.

The Plot of Martin’s Choice

During a fraternity keg party, true colors come out. The fraternity’s president, Ron, wants … something. But it’s clear that Ron won’t stop until he’s forced to.

A pledge named Dennis suffers the consequences of frat president Ron’s reckless power trip. Martin’s choice is to speak up and be ostracized or stay quiet and watch what is starting to uncomfortably resemble an attempt at manslaughter.

Characters

The characters are Martin, Jules, Ron, and Dennis. There are some other fraternity members and there are a few police officers.

Memorable Quotes from Martin’s Choice

Eddie dropped the other side of the keg and shoved his way to the exit. One of his shoves connected with Stan, who lost his grip on Martin’s arm.

Martin turned to Al. “Either you let go of me, or you call nine one-one. Got it?”

The pledges and other fraternity brothers started to run for the exits. Phil looked back once.

Stan had been open-mouthed, but he snapped out of it. “Ron, they’re gonna get the cops in here.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ron’s left eye twitched. “We gotta hide this.”

“Not a chance.” Jules grabbed Ron by the collar as the wail of sirens started to fill the air.

Rating

The story has a T+ rating. There is nasty language, and several truly horrible results come from nasty choices on a lot of people’s parts.

Takeaways from Martin’s Choice

This was a nasty, difficult story, and it’s no wonder that I took a few years to finish it. Even now, I look at it and can see what an incredibly dark place it comes from. Nearly no one comes out of it well. Martin kind of does. And even then, ‘well’ is really just a relative term.

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Short Stories

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A Look at a Short Story, Unexpected Help

I really love World War II prison escape films. So, with Unexpected Help, I tried my hand at writing one. But this time, the time would be in the future and the captors wouldn’t be human.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2021. The original prompt was the word edge.

Background

The whole concept of escaping from an alien prison must have weighed on my mind a lot in 2021.

I wrote several stories with that as the premise, including not just this one, but also Stellar Stowaway, Breakout… and Then What?, Nuremberg Redux, Out of the Work Camp Frying Pan, and Escape from the Alien Mines all follow a somewhat similar plot.

Plot

A good ten thousand humans are taken prisoner on an alien world. When one of them, Rebecca Morrissey, is being tortured, she’s injected with something or other. The substance allows her to hear a certain alien’s thoughts.

And the first thing the alien Chadaricha tells her is that there is an underground, and they are trying to get her out.

But it’ll take a while.

Characters

The characters are POV character Rebecca Lee Morrissey, the only human in the story. The aliens are Chadaricha and Lodavinta. There are other aliens, but I don’t name them.

While these could be the Ziranqui, who have become a kind of catchall bad guy species in my writing, I’m happier for them not to be. After all, why can’t there be more than one villain species out there?

Unexpected Help with Memorable Quotes

Old World War II escape movies were my only frame of reference. Yet they were woefully inadequate when it came to trying to get out of a prison on an alien world. I couldn’t blend in with the natives. Not unless I somehow miraculously got taller, grayer, and added two fingers to each hand.

It was, perhaps, a few days later. The only way to even have a prayer of determining that time had elapsed was to count meals. But they were all over the place. If I had to judge time between meals by hunger, then time was elastic. But that explanation made a lot less sense than a more obvious one—that there were no rules as to when to feed me.

But ever since the aide had injected me, I had been given more. It wasn’t much more. Clearly, my benefactor or benefactors were trying to cover their tracks and making it so they could lean on plausible deniability if they needed to. Or maybe they had a lot of us to try to feed. Or they didn’t have much to give.

In the dark—for the room was never bright enough to read or do more than make out the barest minimum of shapes—I accepted whatever they gave me.

Rating

The story has a T+/M rating.

There are scenes of torture and violence. I am not kidding.

Takeaways for Unexpected Help

I think this one turned out better than some of the other alien prison escape stories I’ve written. There are characters and consequences, and it’s tough to tell how it’ll all work out in the end.

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