John Musico – Troll

John
Dwarf Morph

She was not a women or even a person; just a freak dwarf. The genetics of her dwarfism gave her a 25% shot if bred with a regular guy; that her offspring would be normal as she so craved. But who would sleep with a freak? A pervert website afforded her mating prey and lying about the pill; she was soon pregnant. When her belly swelled disproportionately; she smiled. Her transformation to normalcy was soon coming. But as the term grew near, the burden was too great and she died in childbirth; a dead freak with a very swollen belly.

John Musico – Made Up Word

John Musico
The Chuppy Plan

During my medical residency, the trainees from India tried to be cool; it was totally unnatural and irritating. My vengeance was planting a lie that to be “chuppy” means to be truly cool. Soon after, I’d hear the Pakies arguing in a group; “You only think that you are chuppy, but it is I who is chuppy!”
“The Chuppy Plan” lasted the full 3 years of my residency. Years later, I visited my old residency hospital sporting a 100 dollar hair cut and Armani suit. I passed a group of interns, all Indian, one glanced and said; “Now that’s chuppy.”

Connect by John Musico

John
Connect

Johnny was always a rebel. After some years, he found himself enduring a painfully straight laced life.
At work, staff must walk to a shared printer throughout the day. The secure PC’s did not permit personal software.
“Not permitted”- Johnny grimaced. That old evil smile returned and he plotted his defiance.
He set up a virtual desktop on his PC; they missed blocking that one, and purchased a plug and play printer.
He hid his forbidden printer in his filing cabinet. He mused as the others ran back and forth as he reached into his “filing cabinet”.
Johnny’s still smiling.

Trench by John Musico

The old man stumbled out of the bar and plodded onward by foot. It rained heavily and was very dark. He slid down the roadside mud and tumbled into a trench. He flashed back to his army days in such trenches and drifted off to sleep.
At dawn, he awoke to multiple rounds of gunfire. Was he dreaming of the war? No, he was on the shooting range of an army base. A voiced called out; “Cease fire, man on the range!” The M.P.’s dragged him to the nearest clinic- mine. I asked; “Exposure?” They replied; “and also quite drunk”.

Troll by Jerry

It was near dark when I approached the bridge. I had left the road a mile back as to be downwind and in the cover of the brush. Two days before I had wadded the river South of the bridge on my way to Jakes farm. Jake has some of the sweetest tomatoes and the crispiest red apples of anyone in the valley. Today, because of the heavy rain and the river being up, I would have to use the bridge. Couldn’t let the grub get wet. If I timed it right I would not have to pay the troll.

Anchor by Anima

Ten and two, ten and two, and… release…

The line flies through the air, gracefully arcing under the tree branches. The fly lands, floating lightly on top as it should. A quick mend of the line, and I wait.

The cut under the bank is still. Too damn still. I know there is a big trout in there. I have been stalking him for the last 40 minutes. No caddis, no nymphs, no copper ants, nothing is appealing to this freshwater monster.

Yet again, I drag the anchor, setting the boat in motion, in search of a more gullible fish.

After the Plague

After the Plague
by John Musico

The plague was spread through sex, even homosexual sex, so every one was at risk. It spread across the globe. When it seemed there was no one left, the subgroup that did survive were the celibates; priests and nuns; that took a holy vow of chastity.
The Pope addressed them; “ Your chastity was for a nobler sublimation of your libido: to be applied to spirituality. Now there is a yet greater goal; to save mankind so there will be survivors at all to again worship the Lord. You must now instead fornicate. It is the decree of the church!”

Learning to Just Eat Shit by John Musico

Learning to Just Eat Shit
by John Musico

Young Bobby stared down between his legs at his poop floating in the toilet water below and wondered; “Why is it always brown regardless of the color of the food I ate?” He thought back to his kindergarten days and paint class. “The more colors you mix together the darker the color. Yes that must be it.” He was promised the things he learned in school would be of use later in life. “Damn straight!”
“Why should it always smell the same? Things taste like what they smell like…” He had a plan; could come in handy later in life.

South by John Musico

South
By John Musico

I immigrated from Italy. I worked in a small grocery store in Brooklyn. The owner was a sullen Jewish man, Steiner, who didn’t talk much. There wasn’t a day that went by without Steiner reminding me of my Sicilian background. The Italians have a gesture for most any word and stomping your right foot meant; “Southerner”. It was an offensive gesture which really meant; “peasant”. Insult to injury, he stomped often.
One day in my broken English I demanded he stop that. He replied; “My leg is always falling asleep and it’s how I put a stop to the tingling”.

Munsi – Trench

Exploration

By Christopher Munroe

I’d like to see the bottom of the Marianas Trench.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s much down there, no sea monsters or anything, it’s just the furthest, remotest place we can explore on earth, and as such it’s important that we see it.

The last frontier in the world before we start venturing into the stars, a sort of symbolic “We’ve seen everything” moment that might motivate us up and, finally, off the planet.

It feels important, on that level.

That said, if there WERE sea monsters, I’d like to see that too. That would be amazing…