More high school nostalgia. This one was tough to trim down.

Drabble: lost in translation 2

The new math teacher had been the headmaster of his old school back in New Zealand, and his prized memento was a four foot long swagger stick. He liked to wave it in students' faces, and slam it on their desks.

On the fourth day of class it broke cleanly in two.

Someone had used a razor blade to invisibly weaken the middle of the stick, just deep enough that it broke at the first hard smack.

He was crying when he complained to the principal. "None of the boys at my school would have done such a thing."

Only One Sure Thing

what I think I said: You've never stopped loving her. I can't take it anymore. I'm too strong for you and not strong enough for me. I'm going. I love you, but I'm going. Goodbye.

what I think you heard: I don't love you enough to handle your demons. You still want her, fine. I don't love you enough. Goodbye.

what I meant: oh god, god, no, please don't let me do this, I didn't mean it, please please please, why don't you love me the way you love her, why are you letting me go, why don't you understand....?

"The November 3rd Club," an online literary journal of political writing, is now accepting submissions for its Winter '06 issue.

The deadline is January 15, 2006.

Please visit our Web site, [link] for more details.

I've been working on a story for y'all for the last little while, Victor. Hope to finish the last scene today, in fact. Synchronicity, hmm? ETA: Yay...I did it. Anyone want to beta my little foray into magical realism? More real than magic, I swear. Can't ask Victor...that's a little Halliburton, isn't it?

Cheerios: Still writing the walking and not-walking wounded apparently... can't escape the Maim Story I guess.

(sticking head in) Sorry, bebe. I've been armpit-deep in meatspace stuff.

I wish to report that I got my cheque for The Fourth Ring, my 44 Clowns of the Apocalypse short story (which was kinda a longass short story, really). Fifteen bucks.

I love getting paid for writing. And I'm in some damned good company on this one, all of us getting the same princely upfront fifteen bucks.

Will squee when the sucker's out.

I just deleted because my finger slipped and I posted multiple times. No problem. Well. it'll wait anyway...story doesn't have to be anywhere until Jan.

erika, send when done, ma'am. I have been sucky at the beta reading recently - there's a lot of real-world stuff going on, and it's going on nonstop - but I will sit down with the short.

Johnny Cash, by any chance....? (hopeful)

Not yet...will get to that one next week, I hope. Have not been in quite right frame of mind for it, but one good thing about being not...monogamous, project-wise, is that there is something for every occasion. Your excitement is flattering and hopefully inspiring too. Maybe I'll wander around and call myself the female Ellroy. Ha...now imagining an ouevre filled with male prostitutes getting bitch-slapped, is it misandry if I find that a funny thought?