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    Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13
    Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13
    Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13
    Ebook180 pages1 hour

    Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13

    By Pure Slush

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    About this ebook

    stories, essays and poems by Alex Reece Abbott, Duff Allen, Samantha Armatys, David S. Atkinson, Jane Banning, Tina Barry, Paul Beckman, Irene Buckler, Megan Crosbie, Peter DiChellis, Glen Donaldson, Kristina England, Brad Garber, Flora Gaugg, Mark Govier, John Grey, Diana Grove, Matthew Harrison, Robin Hillard, Stephen House, Mark Hudson, A.J. Huffman, Hasen Hull, Phillis Ideal, Em Koenig, Donna Krause, Len Kuntz, John Lambremont, Kathryn Lee, Lucy Logsdon, JP Lundstrom, Catfish McDaris, Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz, Richie Narvaez, Pádraig Ó Cúana, Edward O'Dwyer, Carl 'Papa' Palmer, Joseph Pete, Ben Pitts, Martin Jon Porter, Matt Potter, Melisa Quigley, Stephen V Ramey, Alex Robertson, Jennifer Rose, Ruth Sabath Rosenthal, Andrew Stancek, J. J. Steinfeld, Dianne Turner, Rob Walker, Anne E. Weisgerber, Michael Webb, Andrew West, Robb T. White and Allan J. Wills, all prompted by the theme 'freak'
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPure Slush Books
    Release dateDec 15, 2016
    ISBN9781925536157
    Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13

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      Book preview

      Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13 - Pure Slush

      Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13

      A Pure Slush E-book

      new PS logo vertical small

      Freak Pure Slush Vol. 13

      Copyright

      *

      First published December 2016

      Stories copyright © Pure Slush and individual authors

      Edited by Matt Potter

      All rights reserved by the authors and publisher. Except for brief excerpts used for review or scholarly purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without express written consent of the publisher or the authors.

      *

      Pure Slush Books

      4 Warburton Street

      Magill SA 5072

      Australia

      Email: edpureslush@live.com.au

      Website: http://pureslush.webs.com

      Visit the Pure Slush Store: http://pureslush.webs.com/store.htm

      *

      Original cover photo Quasimodo 1 by Andreas Bengter

      Cover design by Matt Potter

      ISBN: 978-1-925536-15-7

      Also available as a paperback:

      ISBN: 978-1-925536-16-4

      *

      A note on differences in punctuation and spelling

      Pure Slush proudly features (both online and in print) writers from all over the English-speaking world. Some speak and write English as their first language, while for others, it’s their second or third or even fourth language. Naturally, across all versions of English, there are differences in punctuation and spelling, and even in meaning. These differences are reflected in the work Pure Slush publishes, and it accounts for any differences in punctuation, spelling and meaning found within these pages.

      Contents

      *

      The big freak-out / Allan J. Wills

      Barista / Duff Allen

      The Menstruators / Flora Gaugg

      Cold Blind / Jane Banning

      Violated / Len Kuntz

      Get Lost / JP Lundstrom

      How Picasso’s African Period … / Stephen V. Ramey

      Radio Dave / Martin Jon Porter

      A Little Cyclops in a Chemical Cupboard / Megan Crosbie

      How the Amorous … / J. J. Steinfeld

      Midnight in Freakville / A. J. Huffman

      Somewhat Restricted / John Grey

      Ten Gallon Hats Full … / David S. Atkinson

      Why Circus Performers … / Peter DiChellis

      Freaking Out in Bangkok / Andrew West

      Swedish Fish / Joseph S. Pete

      The Kid Does His Father a Solid / Paul Beckman

      Robot Lover / Diana Grove

      The Respect They Deserve / Jennifer Rose

      200 North Willow Street / Ben Pitts

      Outcast / Melisa Quigley

      Magpie / Glen Donaldson

      Alert / Dianne Turner

      White Ink / Samantha Armatys

      A Baby on Board / Em Koenig

      Nobody Here But Us Chickens / Andrew Stancek

      Something real / Kathryn Lee

      Blue Lady / Irene Buckler

      I Toast a Most Solemn Occasion: / Ruth Sabath Rosenthal

      Faulty Tan Line / Kristina England

      Pea Coat / Anne E. Weisgerber

      Widow / Tina Barry

      Peachy Head / Mark Govier

      Koo Laid / Catfish McDaris

      The Peacock and the Poodle / Mark Hudson

      Pearl / Donna Krause

      Our Sub-Generation / John Lambremont, Sr.

      Sleeping Beauty Doesn’t Freak / Lucy M. Logsdon

      Digital Music Dude / Alex Robertson

      Adult Adolescence / Hasen Hull

      Toppin’ y’self / Rob Walker

      Yard Darts / Carl ‘Papa’ Palmer

      Echo, Echo / Richie Narvaez

      Too Late and Too Long Ago / Pádraig Ó Cúana

      he called me a freak / Stephen House

      Visitation / Phillis Ideal

      Twins / Robin Hillard

      Bobby Estep Made a Big Decision / Robb T. White

      Headlights of Her Desire / Michael Webb

      Rotifer / Matthew Harrison

      Throwing Yourself Away / Edward O’Dwyer

      Vigil / Alex Reece Abbott

      I Have an Incredible Thing / Brad Garber

      I Am So Sorry For Your Loss / Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz

      Close Encounter of the Emergency Kind / Matt Potter

      The Big Freak-Out

      *

      by Allan J. Wills

      *

      At four years old… I was the kind of child who lay awake in the darkness of my bedroom and saw the shadows come alive as fearsome creatures. I tried to escape to my parents’ bed for protection. The journey along the dark corridor was fraught with wraiths and monsters. The creatures looked real enough. They became more threatening the more I feared them, so I conquered my fear and they did not harm me.

      At forty years old… I listened to a man on TV say how dangerous the world we live in is, how evil and untrust-worthy those and those, and how he was going to make the world safe and his nation great. The crowd around him cheered wildly. I wondered where the monsters were, turned off the TV and went outside into the sunshine. In the park across the road Poké-walkers looking into iPhones surrounded an avatar.

      Barista

      *

      by Duff Allen

      *

      In any case it doesn’t matter that I’ve been here already four years and had more relationships than I can count fifty fingers on. Usually it’s with older guys who come in all stressed about their jobs and stuff like that that I don’t really care about because I’ve got mine. Maybe they’ve got the wife and they just want the barista thing for some kind of change besides repointing their ginormous chimneys or repaving their driveways.

      For all I know they go to different coffee shops in the different neighborhoods, there are so many to pick and choose from. But my thing is to stay right here and when I put that little macchiato mark with my trademark boobs and nipples on it, it’s just like a lasso men whatever age they are they can’t resist.

      Don’t get me wrong, I know none of it’s real or matters of course in any way at all, besides maybe upping my gynecological visits to make sure everything’s ok in Filene’s Bargain Basement down there.

      The lines of pick-up are pretty much standards by now just as are the lines of breaking up. Neither category is worth quoting or reporting. It’s important enough only that we both play our parts when it’s over and you look down the way you’re supposed to look down. The way to look down like when you’re passing by a mortuary and there’s a hearse out in front, even if the family member or the friend being buried has absolutely zilch to do with you, that’s the way to look down.

      Doing that’s a social custom for sure, but it’s no different than going Oooo! or Ahhhh! when you’re seeing fireworks that are always exactly the same replica as the ones blowing up in the sky the year before. The colorful explosions in the night. The vocalized exclamations. The signs given signaling the calendaric verity of the event underway.

      I’m not picky at all really. Any guy who looks just a little bit itchy is a good enough catch for the time being, which is all anybody has until the last clichéd sip in the bottom of the throwaway paper coffee cup thing is over. And onto the next day. In case you’re thinking that all of this is a response to, or a symptom of relief-inducing or anxiety-abating actions, or self-abuse, that’s not it.

      It’s simply like playing a board game: the pieces have four colors – yellow, red, blue, green – and you realize in

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