Mary Dell's Stories

Ecosystem

2007-03-28T17:35:21Z

The family home was full of life. Not in the sense of joy or hope or laughter, but in the biological sense. Moths in the cupboards, birds in the chimney, squirrels in the attic walls. They employed a cat to ride herd on the basement’s mice, but otherwise noninterference was practiced. Thus a self-contained ecosystem flourished, foundation to roof. And the humans within lived by the law of the jungle.

Bloody Mary

2007-03-20T01:49:13Z

Jenna hadn’t mastered the art of the pickup yet. Before her death, she had been an introvert, focused on her job and her kids, helping her dad around the shop on weekends. “You’re a beautiful woman,” he would tell her. “You need to get out there, meet yourself a new man.” She would just laugh.

Now it was different. Now every moment of every day was consumed with thoughts of a new man…always a new man. The hunger was overwhelming. She sat at the bar in her red dress, stirring a celery stick around in her drink. A familiar shiver passed down her spine, telling her that someone was watching.

Alley

2007-03-20T01:30:33Z

I ran as fast as I could down the alley, and they ran as fast as they could, and sure enough they caught me. Then it was all kicks and spit and “eat dirt, bitch!” and my backpack’s contents being dumped on my head. Why had I kept the empty ziplock from that day’s peanut butter sandwich, anyway? Were we really that poor?