blanx73's StoriesI'm yet another frustrated attorney who's decided that there are other ways to make a buck. Plus, I missed writing fiction, and this is a great way of sharpening my skills.2008-06-17T05:38:35Zhttp://ficlets.com/feeds/author/blanx73January 20, 2009<p>She grabbed the phone, and barked into the receiver.</p>
<p>“What do the polls show from the north side of Chicago? How are we trending with the 30-45 white males? Get back to me.”</p>
<p>“Terry, what does the weather report show for the Pennsylvania hills? You know that we need to do well in Appalachia to win this thing!”</p>
<p>“I need to see the position paper on NAFTA . Also, give me the binder on his votes while in the Senate.”</p>
<p>Appearing beside her, the aide tapped her on the shoulder.</p>
<p>“<strong>Ma’am, it’s time for your medication.</strong>“</p>
<p>“But I need to finish these calls now! It’s important!”</p>
<p>“<strong>You need to take your pills.</strong>“</p>
<p>“Ok.”</p>
<p>She sat down, took a glass of water, and swallowed the pills.</p>
<p>“Maybe I’ll just take a little nap, I need to be fresh for the debate tonight.”</p>
<p>“<strong>You do that, ma’am, and I’ll leave you now.</strong>“</p>
<p>The nurse slipped out of the room and shut the door behind her.</p>
<p>She walked down the hospital corridor to the break room, to watch Obama’s speech on CNN .</p>http://ficlets.com/stories/310332008-05-19T17:51:23Z2008-06-17T05:38:35Zblanx73http://ficlets.com/authors/blanx73The fixer<p>As soon as his door closed behind her, the intercom buzzed.</p>
<p>“Hold my calls, Louise.”</p>
<p>With deliberate grace he reached into a desk drawer, pulled out a letter opener made of human bone, and slid the blade under the smallest imperfection in the seal.</p>
<p>When the bone encountered the wax, the seal stirred itself from the box, and began to form into a tiny simulacrum of a dragon. The wax-dragon yawned, stretched its legs, and climbed down off of the box top and onto the ink blotter, to observe the ritual.</p>
<p>The box unwrapped itself, displaying its contents. It had been a very long time since he was the sort of man shocked by the sight of a severed hand holding a snub-nosed revolver, or an almost-living dragon made from wax.</p>
<p>The dragon looked up at him and said, “Compliments of your friends in Chongqing.”</p>
<p>Mr. Kaufman picked up the hand and gun, examined them closely, and set them back on the top of his massive oaken desk.</p>
<p>He pressed the call button on his phone and said,</p>
<p>“Send her in.”</p>http://ficlets.com/stories/303902008-05-13T18:01:16Z2008-06-09T20:58:40Zblanx73http://ficlets.com/authors/blanx73Legal vulture<p>Long-time court hawks know that the best time to pick up chicks is Thursday morning, because that’s when the temporary restraining orders are granted. They’re weak, and vulnerable, and easy prey for a man in a nice suit, with a sympathetic ear. If you wait until Friday, it’s too late. He’s been out of the house for at least a day, and she’s had a chance to think it over, started to miss him, and the window of opportunity is closed. But Thursday? Thursday’s open season.</p>
<p>At 11:00 am, Thursday morning, Eddie Wallace sat in the hallway of the Cheshire County Superior Court, watching the parade of human misery, waiting for a hearing that was scheduled for 10:20 a.m. Eddie was wearing his third-best suit, a black number that had seen better days but still looked pretty good, so long as you didn’t get too close. This wasn’t the suit for an appearance on the news, or the jury, but it had been a good long while since Eddie needed his finery. With Eddie, you could always tell how things were going by his wardrobe.</p>http://ficlets.com/stories/297012008-05-07T21:35:49Z2008-06-05T23:08:22Zblanx73http://ficlets.com/authors/blanx73