Ficlets

Stephan, a twenty-something New Yorker, awakens late in the morning, the bright sun peeking through green curtains. The bed is soft and comfortable but unfamiliar. Stephan spent the previous 36 hours in New Orleans celebrating the close of Mardi Gras, completely lost in the revelry of the Carnival. He’s sore and tired and most of Fat Tuesday is a blur. His temples pounding, he feels a cool breeze raising goose bumps across his body. Stephan is surprised to discover he’s wearing a tight pair of briefs and a hat. Strange combination, he thinks, but not surprising given his hazy recollections of the previous night. More awake now, he runs his hand across his belly and his skin feels odd beneath his touch. Startled, he jumps reflexively from the bed, only to be greeted by an odd creature offering him fruit. Stephan can’t help but reach out and touch it…