Everything was Hahaha between us, until the day he left to pillage and plunder, and I unlocked the basement door. I was OMG trying to un-see the bodies, when he came back hollering, Sweetie-pie, I forgot my lunch. I hurried up the stairs to let the happy guy in, but the key was bloody because like all curious brides before me, I’d dropped it on the floor. I finally felled him, but what a match a cheery soul can be! Now, as I sip my tea, I’m wondering what to do with such a famous one, smiling to the end.

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Linda Lowe’s stories and poems have appeared in Gone Lawn, Outlook Springs, A Story in 100 Words, BOMBFIRE, and others.