Brilliant cautionary tale to get kids to feed their pets. I like the dialogue between the grandpa, mom and kids too. Feels like a real family and a real grandpa telling a tall tale and never seems unnatural, cliche, or boring - not easy to do. Thanks for a great story.
I feel the longing for connection and the sense of loss - no hope, thrills, warming glow; yet also the sense that next time will be different. Very nice final couplet addressing a loved one.
I love the line “God’s green panties, he was a drama queen.” Thank goodness for the part of the subconscious mind inventive curses are born from. Fun story.
Thanks for this short story!
I had a bad tooth pulled 10 years ago after it had been aching terribly. The dentist was a very elderly man whom I had never seen before- I hadn’t been seeing a dentist routinely when this happened. He couldn’t identify which tooth was bad until I told him. It was the first and only time in my life I had nitrous oxide, and strangely it hurt less than I expected it to.
Your story reminds me of that day, which is somehow very clear 10 years later when other things aren’t. It captures the dread of the dentist perfectly.
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