Post-Apocalyptic Dreams by Louis Kummerer
from Dystopia: a PUNK NOIR Magazine series
Tommy and Jaquan-cautiously creep up behind an old woman sitting by a drainage ditch, gnawing at the dead rat she’d just skinned.
Even for the young boys, she’s an easy target: scrawny, thinning grey hair, not nimble enough to react when they rush her. Tommy hits her hard, knocking her to the ground. Jaquan immediately jumps on top of her and crushes her skull with a rock.
Then they sit down to finish the meal she’d begun.
“Won’t be long before I’m eating cooked rat,” Tommy says, “Not this nasty-ass raw shit.”
“What fool’s gonna give you cooked food?” Jaquan asks.
“Malcom,” Tommy replies, “He wants me to be a lamb.”
“Shit, you ain’t even got pubes yet,” Jaquan sneers, “How you gonna be a lamb?”
“Malcom says I’d start by tending the fire. And maybe doing other stuff…
“One of Malcom’s lambs?” Jaquan, shakes his head, “Are you crazy? Man, that’s a horrible life.”
“I don’t care,” Tommy says, “I have big dreams. When I grow up, I’m gonna be somebody, eat cooked food, have one of them metal knives, maybe even get my own lambs. Someday, I’m gonna be on top of the world. Like Malcom.”
This story appears as part of Dystopia, a PUNK NOIR Magazine series.
Bio
Louis Kummerer is a technical writer working and living in Phoenix, Arizona. His work has been published in 10×10 Flash, New Delta Review, CaféLit, Bright Flash Literary Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, Bristol Noir, The Chamber Magazine, Friday Flash Fiction, and 101 Words. A collection of his work appears at louk247-fiction.com.
PUNK NOIR, the online literary and arts magazine that looks at the world at its most askew, casting a bloodshot eye over the written word, film, music, television and more.
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Speaking of rat/ I'm hungry
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