Flesh and Blood
by Claire King
Sunday, city farm. Bickering on the bus as always. Panic swells my throat. But then for once they click, finding shared delight in suckling lambs and pot-bellied pigs.
“Lamb chops,” I say. “Bacon.”
Their heartbreak is followed by cheese sandwich solidarity.
On Monday I cook coq au vin. Fatty yellow skin detached and floating in the sauce. Folded arms and pushed away plates. Stereo disgust.
On Tuesday I bake trout, slimy with garlic butter. Bones and eyes left in.
“Fish are not vegetables,” they say, their fingers locked under the table.
Tonight I serve up bleeding lumps of gristly flesh.
“Cows,” I say, and wince at the slamming door.
I stand outside their room as they close ranks, tearing me to pieces with whispers sharp as butchers' knives. My fingers pick idly at malignant cells and the hall clock marks the minutes that remain.
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Author's Note
Written for 52/250 week 11
Susan Tepper's theme 'Red Meat'
Other stories by Claire King
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KETCHUP and EGGS
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"whispers sharp as butchers knives." = Outstanding. There's a war going on here, as there is in so many families behind closed doors. Nicely done.
A very strong ending here, Claire. "I stand outside their room as they close ranks, tearing me to pieces with whispers sharp as butchers' knives. My fingers pick idly at malignant cells and the hall clock marks the minutes that remain." Great voice in this piece. A great fit for the 52|250 challenge.
Loved the ending. Perfect ... best of ... something.
..cheese sandwich solidarity..Stereo disgust.Fish are not vegetables..tearing me to pieces with whispers..these lines and images made the piece work for me.
I echo everything that's been said. "The hall clock marks the minutes that remain." Truer words were never spoken about catering to other people's eating habits. Funny and pissed off. A great combo. Fav.
Wow! Strong (meat).
Enjoyed this Claire. Nice title too.
Thanks everyone for the lovely comments. I've been a 52/250 slacker which is terrible as I love the themes. So glad you found things to like in this piece!
Good one Claire, my solidarity sister in name! No word wasted, strong ending, makes one think...
fav
Wicked. Time to bring out the tripe and black pudding!
Tripe, wish I'd thought of that! Ooh, liver!
Nice story. What is coq au vin?
Ouch. Such strong images. And Matthew ought to try some coq au vin sometime! Yummmmm. (Those folks in their stereo disgust don't know what they're missing...)
Visceral, nauseating, so good! Each food was like an alive body part.
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Written as if it were poetry. You really "pop the clutch" in paragraph four: . . . pushed away plates. Stereo disgust. *