Thanks
Thank you to my family and friends for all your support. Thank you to the reading community who support me in my writing endeavors. I hope all of you enjoy my work. Life is short and we need writers and artists more than ever.
Also…thanks to my cat. My cat is important too.
Introduction via a fan review
..Greetings Elizabeth Bell;...
...I am pleased to have stumbled upon your wonderful collection of curious short stories; I am very much drawn to curiosities, although I am not quite finished reading them all, I shall most definitely return in the not too distant future...
…I am a huge fan of the short story form, whether it is the astounding Ambrose Bierce [yes, I predictably side-stepped the legendary H.P. Lovecraft, although I grew up reading his short stories, too], or even the amazingly pioneering James Tiptree Junior; but your short stories, Elizabeth, are [to me] akin to Kathy Acker meeting Kim Harrison...I sincerely wish you every encouragement to continue; I firmly believe there will always be an audience for this form of writing, despite what those fashionably corporate publishing trends within the great online echo-chamber say...
…Of course, I am personally surprised that more people here on BookRix have not actually read them; but, if you have noticed recently, BookRix has changed a lot in a short space of time and, sadly, many of the users are not what we might call book-focussed; they tend to be more social media advertising-money focussed...
...Unfortunately, some [not all, of course...] of the younger users on here are obsessively social media orientated; they forget BookRix was originally always about books...Hopefully, BookRix will try something innovative [even creatively risky] to correct the current shift away from actual written content creation...Time will tell, as always I suppose...
...And I wish you and your family well, Elizabeth; I look forward to continuing to read your works...
...Peace be with you, Elizabeth,
Robert K. Galvez
ATM
He slid his card into the ATM and attempted to withdraw cash only to find out his account was empty. Just yesterday, he had 5,000 in it. Only one person he knew could be responsible for this- and without hesitation he's off to confront that person and get his money back and more.
I had already decided to kill her.... However one simply can't hire an exterminator of stupid leech wives with no money. I tapped in my pin # in again willing the receipt to spit out a balance of 5,000.00 which had been available as of yesterday. Perhaps the ATM was malfunctioning or in this age of technology maybe it had gained a sense of humor. The receipt said the same. Nothing. Zero. Nada.
A slow pulse of rage began to travel through my body and caused my temples to pulse while my hand convulsively clenched into a fist.
" Hey buddy move it if your done! "
I turned to the miscreant behind me. Oh I know at first glance I present an unimposing even weak looking figure. Large glasses razor sharp tie and although I wasn't short I knew my very body screamed diminutive. Many people had made certain mistaken assumptions about me at face value...until they looked into my eyes.
This fellow with his ridiculous double pierced ears and snake tattoo in his neck towered over me with a cock of the walk attitude no doubt intending to intimidate me with his toughness. However tattoos and piercings aside, his own eyes went wide and he edged back a step before he could quite stop himself. He made a valiant effort to hold his pride however and I suppose one can admire the fact that the stupid may well inherit the earth just by the good grace of their empty pointless thought processes.
" er my wife's waiting for me " he muttered his eyes studying the steel tip of his shoes " You know how they get yap yap yap till you think your gonna puke."
I studied him coldly a moment longer. My eyes have no pigment and thus they are the palest shade of blue with the blackest pupils and iris rings. One might think they would be pretty. However what was in those eyes apparently negated any beauty they might have had.
" Of course I'm on my way to take care of my wife myself my good man. " I coldly smiled pulling my thin lips up exposing too many perfectly straight and white teeth." I certainly wouldn't want to loose my rather excellent lunch."
That said I went to my car and pointed it's nose home.
My wife wasn't home which of course I knew. She had gone to see her brother a drunken fool who couldn't seem to stop knocking up little teenage whores every time he took his trousers off. No doubt after she left this morning she made a stop and withdrew what I had deposited thinking I wouldn't miss it when my much bigger deposit was to be made. Worse still I could easily see her brother snickering over her boldness at stealing from her pansy faggoty husband as I had heard him call me. He would be drinking of course and no doubt smoking cannabis as well with his latest little trashy piece of jail bait in his lap trying to fuck him through his jeans.
Well that was quite all right. I picked up my cell phone , a wonderful device that had a tracking chip in it that told me every single second of the day where my wife was, I could even switch the microphone on and listen to her boring conversations with her best friend. She was at her brothers house.
I went up stairs to change my tie and slid into my dinner jacket and headed out again into the night.
I whistled ' When you wish upon a star ' all the way there.
The blood wasn't going to come out of my pristine white shirt. It was simply inexcusable. Her brother had gotten his last laugh by spraying his filthy blood everywhere on my dapper clothes. I could feel some of it flaking off my face but damn this was an expensive shirt.
He had been in his cups just as I had known he would be.
My wife had started blubbering the moment she saw me about a message she left on the machine and yes, yes, she was stupid of course but it was an accident please it was an accident oh God Johnny please!
I had paid her no mind. When I stepped out of her brothers kitchen she was already cowering in the corner still blubbering. Her sleeves had fallen down her slender arms revealing a interesting and lovely array of bruises which had made me angrier if that was possible. Those were our secrets and there she was showing them off for her brother to look at so he could look down his nose at me.
Of course it was over with quickly. The steak tenderizer had bashed the teenage girl's head in and she had flopped into his lap as if she intended to perform fellatio one last time, the little whore.
His eyes had widened and met mine actually looked at my own eyes which he rarely did preferring to look over my shoulder when we were forced company. He had opened his mouth but my other hand had held his sharpest knife and I had given his throat the widest grin anyone could possibly have done. I am blessed to be able to use both my hands equally.
My wife had said nothing she had been trained quite well over the years not to make a sound. She had merely coward moaning and waited. I had taken out her eyes and then cut off her greedy hands and left her to rot there.
Now this my lovely clothes absolutely filthy. I knew cops were pulling up but I paid them little mind while I tried one more time to wash the blood out of my white shirt. Finally disgusted I threw it into the sink to answer the door. There was actually only one cop there which didn't surprise me after all they had better things to do then worry about whores, drunks, and greedy bitches.
He was looking at a report in his hand and not even bothering to look at me. His tone was one of those long suffering ones that said his life was miserable , boring, and pointless. I noted with some interest he was holding my wife's purse.
He finished talking almost with relief and looked at me. Horror came over his face and he fumbled his gun from his side holster.
" Freeze! Don't move! You're under arrest! "
Sitting in the back of the car my face still caked with blood my pants ruined as well as my undershirt I pondered on the strange positions we can get moved into. My stupid wife had lost her purse and being dumber then dung she had the pin number written on the back of the card.
However I am happy to say an officer making an arrest of a suspicious teenager had recovered her bag and my 5,000.00. It was going into evidence locker at the moment but would of course eventually be placed back in my account where it belonged so as they say all's well that ends well. I graciously decided to forgive my wife whenever she got out of the hospital since she hadn't stolen my money after all. Women simply can't help being inferior to their spouses.
I whistled ' When a Man Loves a Woman ' all the way to the jailhouse.
The Fight
Stan's never been in a fight before. That's all about to change and he'll go to any lengths to stop it from happening. Even if it involves his life.
He was going to kill me. That was my first thought as I was roughly shoved to the back of the bar with about a dozen drunk patrons eagerly following us no doubt hoping to see me creamed into nothing but a bloody mush. It hadn't been worth getting the last word in was the second thought I had as we spilled into the alley way.
I had never been in a fight in my life. I glanced at Bill's red angry sneer and the veins bulging on his meaty arms as they clenched and unclenched into fists. I really didn't want to be in one now.
" Bill look...it doesn't really matter now..." I was already trying to undo the damage but the damage was apparently not un-doable.
" You tell me my fucking wife was fucking you and your fucking brother and that's why I should be glad she left me and you think that doesn't fucking matter?! "
Alright so maybe my tongue had run away with my head but come on. Bill had been going on about his damn wife for two straight hours. The woman wasn't worth five minutes. She hadn't even been good in bed but maybe on hindsight I should have kept that tidbit to myself.
" You can't really want to stay with her Bill I mean really I was just trying to point out maybe it was for the best..."
" I'm gonna kill you, you sack of shit! " I ducked the first blow dancing around while the crowd hooted, drank beer, and took bets. To my chagrin there were even people filming it on their phones. I knew I was on the bad end of those bets. I had to do something that would appease both the crowd and Bill's thirst for blood.
Suddenly I had an idea.
" You're right Bill I deserve to die for being such a fucking low life friend but you don't deserve to go to jail for killing me. " I reached into my coat and pulled out a plastic container of red pills with their skull and crossbones motto. Bill paused when he saw them looking confused but plenty mad.
" What the hell is that ass wipe? You gonna take an aspirin before I break your face? "
Their was laughter. I shook my head solemnly. " No Bill their suicide pills. They pass em out in the army remember? In case you accidentally inhale poison gas or some shit? "
Bill squinted looking slightly more interested in the pills. " Say what? "
" I deserve to die for being such a jerk! " I proclaimed loudly there was muttering now a few worried looks " You're all a witness! This man didn't touch me so he can't be charged with anything when the police come!"
I grabbed the nearest persons half full glass of beer.
" Now wait a minute Stan..." Bill seemed to be sobering up and there was more muttering and betting going on.
I popped two pills out and gulped them down ignoring Bill's panicked shout to wait! Just wait just a fucking minute!
I took a long pull of beer and then wiped the back of my mouth. I looked sorrowfully at Bill, " I'm sorry man. I should have been a better friend and come right out with it but it'll be alright now. You'll forgive me now won't you? "
" Stan you stupid son of a bitch what did you DO?! "
I didn't answer of course because I dropped the beer and gasped loudly. I began gagging as red foam begin to drip down my lips and some even leaked out of one nostril. I flopped to the floor ,amidst cries of disgust and horror, where I proceeded to twitch and jerk like someone having an epileptic fit.
Bill grabbed me and tipped my head to the side trying to keep me from choking to death. There were shouts for an ambulance, a blanket, and one fellow even bought me another beer. I lay in Bills arms eyes rolled back breathing shallow the bloody foam still dripping from my mouth and nose.
" Crazy! Stan you crazy son of a bitch! Jesus! You stupid asshole! "
Well at least Bill sounded more frightened and disgusted then angry and lucky for me he apparently wasn't going to beat a dying man to death. The ambulance got there and I was transferred onto a stretcher and loaded hastily into the back.
The ambulance lurched off. One of the medics examined the pills then he looked at my vitals. All normal and healthy and actually I was wiping the slime off my mouth and around my nose using the sheet.
" Sir can you tell me what kind of drug this is? " The EMT looked plenty confused to see me suddenly so chipper and I knew I was going to be in big trouble for wasting their time but I felt an explanation was owed if I didn't want my stomach pumped out.
"It's not a drug. Sorry I can't tell you what's in it that's a trade secret. "
The EMT looked even more confused " What IS this? "
I sat up drying my face off while I explained. " I'm a performance artist that's one of my special effects props. Sorry I just really didn't want the shit beat out of me for sleeping with Bill's wife you can understand that right? "
The EMT didn't look like he could. He sighed instead. " Please lay down sir we still have to admit you to the hospital."
I have no doubt I'll probably be sent to the psych ward until they can verify I really AM a performance artist and a damn good one I might add. Course by the time Bill remembers that he'll be sober and much more reasonable. At least I sure hope he will be.
The secret
On a plane a woman with no faith is suddenly privy to a horrible secret of the man next to her. The question is can she find faith?
The plane lifted off the runway and into the air. The person next to me turned and quietly whispered in my ear, " I know I'm supposed to keep this a secret but I absolutely must tell someone."
I eye balled the guy. Since 9 11 and all the bollywhack that followed being on a plane gave me the willies and I was half afraid this man would tell me he had a bomb attached to him. He just had that look.
" You don't have to share it with me! " I leaned away from him even as my curiosity egged me to lean forward and listen. The human genome seemed to contain a gene for drama, absurd doings, and just plain stupidity.
He gave me a hurt look and leaned wearily back. I stared ahead taking quick peeks at him. He was dark skinned with thick black hair. Not unattractive by any means. He seemed young compared to my 38 years. Barely in his twenties. My next look was a bit longer.
His eyes were ...haunted? His skin was dark yes but it had an unhealthy white cast to it. His lips were pinched as if he were biting back a scream and they trembled. I felt a stab of guilt. If he was one of those fanatics then wouldn't it be better if I knew now?
I leaned over to him. " What did you need to tell? "
He closed his eyes briefly almost looking relieved.
" I'm...I'm.. going to...die...and I'm afraid. "
I blinked at him not sure what to say for a moment. " What's your illness? "
Probably wasn't the best first question but it was out before I could think of more polite chit chat.
" Greed. " he replied softly.
" Greed? " I let that rest on my tongue a moment. " I'm sorry Mr. ..? "
" Tomaz. Kadar Tomaz. " He closed his eyes and his lashes grew damp. I glanced around wondering how I ,of all people on this blasted plane, had gotten stuck with this madman?
Well I had already broken my vow to not get involved so it wasn't much of a choice to decide to learn more. " How has your greed killed you sir? "
Mr. Tomaz looked at me for a moment his face sad and somehow ancient at the same time.
" I have done a stupid thing. I have sold both of my kidneys on the black market for 10,000.00 each. "
I looked at him aghast. " Sold your kidneys sir? BOTH of them? "
He nodded painfully and leaned forward weakly lifting the back of his shirt a tiny bit. Yes there were bandages but of course that didn't mean anything after all one couldn't live without kidneys could they?
As if he had read my mind he said " I will die within two days. Unless by miracle I get a transplant. "
I chewed on that a minute feeling a sour pang of sadness for this man even as I told myself he was probably addicted to drugs or perhaps some other vice that would require him to do such an idiotic thing.
" Why WOULD you do such an idiotic thing? " Curiosity was going to kill me. I just knew it.
Mr. Tomaz motioned to his pocket then with a sigh painfully dug out his wallet. He opened it to show me a stunning creature of incomparable beauty. The only reason I knew she wasn't a super model was because of the grainy dirty background and the plain tattered clothes she wore.
" My Rose. " He whispered. " I have loved her all my life...yet I cannot give her the life she deserves. Cannot keep her safe in the hellish place we call home. "
I handed the picture back feeling both sad and I admit a bit jealous as women were wont to do when faced with a woman more lovely and younger then themselves.
" I have purchased her passage ...illegally to somewhere better then there, but it is not enough for me to join her and I will soon be dead. This plane will be my grave. This is a terrible thing to burden you with..but...I am sorry..I am afraid to die alone. "
I frowned the scope of this issue suddenly becoming quite clear to me. " Listen here you! We must tell the flight attendant! We can land much sooner...get you to a hospital..I'm sure they could.."
He cut me off with mild disdain reserved for those who know that someone they are talking to has no idea of the hardships of life.
" I cannot...she will be deported...My death will be for nothing. My love will give her a chance. She is beautiful...she will be with family they will see to it she has a chance. If my crime becomes known so will her papers be proved as fraud and back she will go to a town where she will die by a bullet, or disease, or hunger with no chance at all. "
I stayed quite for a moment thinking. Mr. Tomaz leaned forward and grunted in pain. Without thought I put my hand on his shoulder and rested it there.
" Do you have faith? " he whispered. " I would like you to pray with me. Tell me please...do you have faith? "
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him no. I had no faith. No faith because last week a woman in my neighborhood had strangled her baby because her boyfriend threatened to leave her for someone who had no kids. I had no faith because a man in a state next to my own had kicked his four old daughter to death for blocking the TV. I had no faith because my mother had been beaten everyday by her boyfriends until she took her own life leaving me and my sister to the mercy of the court system that cared not at all about us.
I had lived a life where I had dealt with the greedy , the lying, the smug. I had a menial job that left me lusting for more money so I could get my hair done more often, eat out, and dance as if I where a teenager again when my youth was long gone and I couldn't even muster the time to help the homeless or quite smoking or care about anyone other then myself.
I glanced at him, this young man who had purchased someone else a chance with his life. Someone who might not have even loved him half as much. Someone who might very well squander the money and still die young. He glanced at me and in his eyes I saw that he knew all this and more about suffering then I ever would. It hurt me to know this man was going to die and the world would have one less person in it that was actually willing to give up everything including their life for another person. I found myself wishing that I could name one person in my life that would ever care that much about me. There were none. There was only God and faith.
I took his hand and squeezed it. It was cold. His longish hair and beard brought to mind another who had suffered...given his life so others might live in the grace of God. Then and there the innocent faith I once had as a child hit me so hard tears came to my eyes.
I put an arm around him. Held his closed hands in mine.
" Yes." I whispered tears streaming from my eyes. " Yes. I have faith. "
The Tooth Fairy
The tooth fairy visits Jen's house in the middle of the night, only she isn't just taking the children's teeth. She stealing from their possessions. It's a magical creature so how does one attempt to stop her?
Flypaper. That was my first thought when my five year old daughter gleefully exclaimed " Mummy I lost a tooth! The tooth fairy is gonna visit me! "
Most parents would politely smile and remind their offspring to tuck the prized tooth under the pillow and don't peek so the tooth fairy can pay them for their pearly whites. I on the other hand was concentrating on a plan to catch that little flying bitch.
A poem occurred to me while I pondered what to do ;
O'ver the hills,
across the rushing glen
we daren't go a'huntin
for fear of little men.
My grandparents had been welsh and I had heard all about the fae and their antics. No tinker bell for me. Instead I heard of spells of glamour, mortals lured to fairyland for days only to find their way back to the real world where years had past. Sweet babies being snatched away and replaced with changelings. Bodachs bedeviling the unwary mortals who were unfortunate enough to catch their attention and blood sucking redcaps.
Imprint
Publisher: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Publication Date: 04-25-2018
ISBN: 978-3-7487-3616-5
All Rights Reserved
Dedication:
Thanks to my boys for being patient for me. Thanks also to my family for letting dream my dreams. Special thanks to my BFF Nikkie for role playing with me and letting me bring to life so many worlds.