Ficlets

Looking for Lucky

He’d gone missing approximately 4.7 days ago. On that first sunset, I had stood on my back porch, framed by the doorway, calling his name until I thought I’d lose my voice. “Lucky! C’mon, boy!” No answer.

My coworkers tried to console me, saying that he’d find his way back home. But I had to sit at my cubicle for my eight-hour allotment and stare at the sixteen pictures of Lucky on my desk. In the one I’m most partial to, he’s wearing the Christmas sweater I knitted for him, his tongue is wagging, and he just has this look…

I went down to the shelter 2.1 days ago. No luck. Just rows and rows of expectant little faces. I came close to taking home a cute, brown female. But she just couldn’t replace Lucky.

Yesterday, after polishing my outer layer and making sure my circuits were in working order, I went around the chronopolis, posting pictures:

Lost!
Answers to the name of Lucky
White American, blond hair, 30 years old
1400 crystal reward
Any info, Mental Mail me, X44 -JM2

I hope he comes home.

Comments

Average Reader Rating:

Looking for Lucky
John Perkins
Posted 2 months ago

Cool little twist at the end. I liked the idea of the days broken down in decimal. Gave the impression of an obsessive compulsive or something, then it all fit perfectly once the twist was revealed. Nice.
Looking for Lucky
Krulltar
Posted 2 months ago

I love quirky stories with quirky endings. Only real thing that throws me off is the mention of his tongue wagging. It somewhat detracts from the believability. It forces the reader to far into the mindset that it’s a pet and makes it hard to imagine a human/cyborg. The use of the word shelter does nearly the same thing, but given the futuristic setting, it’s not nearly as bad.
Looking for Lucky
Six Feet Under The Stars
Posted 2 months ago

lol. totally wasnt expecting that ending…although i do agree with krulltar about the whole tongue wagging thing making it a little less believable
Looking for Lucky
Six Feet Under The Stars
Posted 2 months ago

lol. totally wasnt expecting that ending…although i do agree with krulltar about the whole tongue wagging thing making it a little less believable
Looking for Lucky
The Unnamable
Posted 2 months ago

I see what you guys mean about the tongue wagging. I was just trying to go for complete pet-like regression. Maybe if it had been “slobbering?”
Looking for Lucky
Mistress Elsha Hawk
Posted about 1 month ago

slobbering is still gross, and not giving the human the mental capacity we so proudly would cling to, even if robots took over the world and adopted us as pets. :) Love the twist, it was jaw-dropping!