An excerpt from the story “Touched” from the short story collection, “Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life”
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“My name’s Molly.”
“I know.”
“What’s yours?”
“Joseph.”
They sat for a while staring at the sailboats drifting across the lake. Clouds hovered over the mountainous horizon like a billowy landscape.
“What’s a genfreak?” asked Molly.
“A derogatory term for biogenetically engineered kids.”
“Oh,” Molly replied.
They watched two gray squirrels play at the foot of their tree.
“How come my mommy don’t like you?”
“Because I’m a genfreak,” Joseph said.
“But you don’t look weird or nothin’.”
“I know. Guess I just I don’t act like other kids.”
“Why?”
Joseph shrugged.
“Oh.”
Their attention drifted from a bumblebee performing his God-assigned duties on the wildflowers sprouting in the grass, to a family of mallard ducks paddling contentedly toward the shore.
Molly suddenly turned to Joseph.
“Wanna be my boyfriend?” she asked.
“What?”
“I said, do you wanna be my boyfriend?”
Joseph read the definition of the word. There didn’t seem to be anything special about being someone’s frequent male companion, though it might be nice to have a friend.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
“Why not?”
“I’ve never been one before.”
“Please, Joseph? I promise you’ll like it. I’ll even help you stop acting weird if you want?”
“You will?”
“Uh huh.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Cross my heart,” Molly said as she drew an imaginary “X” across her chest.
“But your mommy won’t like it.”
Molly smiled. “Then it’ll be our secret.”
“Well…okay,” Joseph replied.
“Goody,” Molly shouted, clapping her hands. She tilted her head to the side and leaned close.
“Wanna kiss me now?”
“Kiss you?” Joseph asked.
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“’Cause it’s what boyfriends do.”
Joseph had seen adults kissing before. Although he often wondered what it felt like, he wasn’t ready to start trying it. The possible exchange of disease was too great.
“I don’t want to.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“Oh, never mind then,” Molly said. Her lower lip puffed out as she turned away. Neither spoke for the next few minutes. Joseph heard the low crunch of footsteps along the gravel path.
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In Print – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1440429650/wheelmanpress-20
On Kindle – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016LPUNE/wheelmanpress-20
@ Smashwords.com – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9329
Preview – http://www.bddesignonline.com/Press/media/Phoenix-Talesv02_preview.pdf
Posted on July 8th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Promotion, Writing Snippets | No Comments »
