Entertaining you in one hundred words or less

“Last Stop”

The bus driver looked back at Tim.

“Bad dreams?”

Crushed robin’s eggs and smeared embryonic yolk.  That’s all Tim saw.  He frowned.

“It’s rush-hour.  Where is everyone?”

The driver grinned a baleful grin.  “Got off at the good stops.  But we’re going to the end.  Didn’t you know?  You’re dead.  Had a heart attack six stops back.”

“Heart attack?”

“Quite painless.  Not fair, really.  You should have left that bird’s nest alone.”

“Bird’s nest?”  At a friend’s dare, Tim had flattened the tiny blue eggs beneath his shoe.  “I was ten!”

“Old enough.”

Flame licked at the windows.

“Family Reunion”

Dave didn’t recognize the young woman walking up his sister’s driveway.  By the hook of her nose and square jaw, definitely a Ryerson.

He shook her hand.  “I’m Dave.”

She acted aloof, eying him warily.  “Jasmine.”

“How are you connected?”

“Gloria is my aunt.  I found out about the reunion from her, just a few days ago.”

“My sis?  Strange.  Oh—here’s my better half.  Vanessa, this is Jasmine.”

Jasmine smiled sweetly.  “A pleasure, I’m sure.  But we’re not related.”

Dave scratched his hooked nose.  “I’m confused.  What does that make me?”

“My father.  Nice to meet you.”

“Shooting Star”

Juno burst into Earth’s atmosphere, a stone bullet igniting the night sky.  She travelled halfway across the universe to burn up in a brief white flash. 

A shooting star, they called her.  A nice way to speak of the dying.

But she was no star.  A shell of iron, and heart of nickel.  Still, 187 wishes were called her way.  Juno granted none.

Perhaps, if someone called her by her true name, she would reconsider.  But they were too late.  Her flaming body, reduced to a bitter kernel, fell forgotten onto Earth, that most disciplined child of the sun.