short story

17 May

Pisces

Saint Orpheus0 CommentsWriting, ,
The day of my birth was also the day my grandfather died. Unbeknownst to my parents, as my mother overcame her final contraction and pushed me into the world, my grandfather was exiting. Years of smoking Marlboros, stressful occupations, and high cholesterol had taken their toll on him, producing a cardiac output of about 3%. That 3% of a total 100%.The doctors have no idea how he lived as long as he did. *** My mom and dad didn’t have any more kids after me. Or rather, they couldn’t. I was their one shot. Both were in great shape, had…
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12 Apr

Sisyphus Undone

Saint Orpheus0 CommentsWriting, ,
You tell people it was a drunk driving accident. This is a crucial juncture for the lion-hearted. Those who were brave enough to even broach this line of questioning must now decide whether or not they have enough chutzpah to hold your gaze. But, thus far, everyone has flinched, no matter how minutely. So you’ve learned that this admission is guaranteed to be met with bouquets of “I’m so sorry to hear that” and “I can’t even imagine”. There’s no easy way to announce how someone’s left this mortal plane, but elements of tragedy make the conversations unbearable. They parrot…
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