Darren's letter and a lipstick. No smokes. You open the letter and read it again. Try as you might, you still don't care. And you don't even try 'cause all your tryin' dried up long ago. Lipsticks are the new cigarettes, so you give yourself a swipe just to stay busy 'til the pig truck takes its reekin' shit out of your life.
Back into first then, and you've got the only two-axle on the road that doesn't do the shifting for you. The cars fly past like wasted years and leave you with a window full of dirt. Darren will be out in three days.
He'll come to you asking for something that ain't his and you'll remind him of that dress you never wore. You'll remind him of that promise he never kept, the jokes at the tavern, and the money he still owes you.
He'll take whatever don't bite him, bust whatever ain't broken, and catch a few winks in-between. He'll go with you to your bubba's funeral and flirt with the girl in the blue. She'll dis him, though, and he'll act like he don't care. Then he'll tell you that your hair ain't blond enough, you ain't thin enough, and why bother with you anyhow?
Then he'll end up back inside and you'll still be outside, but don't matter. His hell is your hell now, and there ain't no letter writin' for you 'cause there ain't no outside of outside.
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Previously published at Burst, this short piece was nominated for the Third Annual Micro Fiction Award.
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Good writing. I like the voice in the piece -
"He'll take whatever don't bite him, bust whatever ain't broken, and catch a few winks in-between. He'll go with you to your bubba's funeral and flirt with the girl in the blue. She'll dis him, though, and he'll act like he don't care."
nice work.
Thank you Sam and Brian! It's not my usual voice, but it's one I'm comfortable using.
Funny and spunky. I like it.
I like it, and I'm not keen on laments. Like voice here. Star.
Thank you very much, Gloria and Jake.
This has such a great, rough, almost crude voice to it. I like it. I've got a story up, too, if you wouldn't mind checking it out.
Lord, she needs to kick that man to the curb! Love the voice in this - I agree with Gloria, it's spunky. Good work!
Thank you, Matthew and Charlotte!
I like the crusty voice in this; I feel for the brave broken heart that's underneath the crust. *