A Step Outside of Normal: Read on the Run

By Catherine Valenti, Laurie Axinn Gienapp, R. S. Leergaard and 2 more

A Step Outside of Normal presents seven situations which are almost, but not quite, normal. Not really supernatural, not really fantasy, not really general fiction. Instead, they're each a little bit "off". And short, to suit your busy lifestyle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Smoking Pen Press, LLC
• Release date: Apr 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781944289041

Book preview

HELL OF A DAY

Laurie Axinn Gienapp

THE GROUND TREMBLED and the smell of sulfur hung in the air over the valley like a blanket from hell. And things didn’t look any better than they smelled. A sick day seemed like a good idea. Sadly, a sick day was not in the cards for me.

Lou, are you going to stand there with the door open all day? You know I hate the smell of sulfur.

I sighed. Yes, Ma, I know you hate the smell of sulfur, you take every opportunity to remind me. I closed the door and stood there for a moment with my head leaning against the jamb, before I turned and went back to the kitchen and my breakfast. My cereal had gone soggy of course, and after poking at it a few times with my spoon, I dumped it down the garbage disposal.

Don’t leave your dirty bowl in the sink, Lou. You know I hate dirty dishes in the sink.

Yes, Ma. I know you hate dirty dishes in the sink. I rinsed my bowl and set it in the dish drainer.

Are you going to work today?

Again, I sighed. Of course I’m going to work today. Monday through Friday, I always go to work.

This time she was the one who sighed. I really wish you didn’t work for that man.

I’d heard this before, of course, and I knew what came next. Long ago I’d lost count of how many times we’d had this same conversation.

Can’t you get a job with someone else? she whined.

I didn’t bother answering. After all, as I said I’d had this conversation many times before. We both knew each other’s lines as well as we knew our own. I put on my jacket, grabbed my pack and headed out the door. Mom could finish our conversation on her own, without me.

I trudged down the road. I could never decide if it was a blessing or a curse that I lived so close to work. Sure, there was no traffic, but on the other hand I never felt like I truly escaped either work or home, because wherever I was, the other one was so close. Just one more bit of proof that my life was truly pathetic. I lived with my mother, I worked for my father, my parents had divorced before I was even born, and they hated each other’s guts. But under the circumstances, how could you expect anything else?

I walked into the main office, nodding at the security guard as I walked by. I stamped my time card, returned it to its proper slot, and headed out to the yard in back.

Morning, Lou.

Morning, Dad.

It’s going to be a busy day, today.

Yessir. I smelled the sulfur at the house.

He grimaced. I wish you’d move over to the other side of town. I can’t believe you still live with that woman.

I sighed. Dad, we’ve been over this enough times. I’m not leaving Mom, she needs me.

He shook his head and headed for the control booth. As he walked away, he called over his shoulder, Start with the southwest corner, today. That’s where the worst of it is.

I moved over to the corner he’d indicated, slid my pack off my shoulder, and took out the vacu-collect. I started it up and began moving the nozzle in a wide sweeping pattern, suctioning up the scattered brimstone.

This was a pretty mindless task, and I’d done it often enough that I could practically have done this in my sleep. My mind wandered as I worked my way across the yard and my thoughts returned to my parents. It was actually more of a surprise that they ever got together, than that they’d split up. Mom’s family was in charge of Hell’s fires, and Dad’s family was in charge of Hell’s brimstone. I mean, come on, how could their relationship have been anything other than explosive?

Finally, the whistle blew, indicating the end of the day, and I turned off my vacu-collect with a sigh of relief. There had been more loose brimstone than usual, and it had been a tough shift. I waved goodbye to Dad and he called something out, but I was too far away to hear. So I gave him a big smile and waved again, and trudged home. As I approached the house, I saw that it was dark. Worried that something was wrong, I quickened my pace.

I opened the door, calling out Ma?as I stepped inside.

At first there was no answer, and I was about to call out again when I heard her reply from the other room. Lou? I’ll be right out, dear. I guess I lost track of time.

I reached over to turn on a lamp, but nothing happened when I pressed the switch.

Oh, and there’s a problem with the power, dear. I called the electric company but they said it won’t be fixed until tomorrow.

Well that explained the dark house and the lamp switch. I shrugged out of my pack and my jacket, hung both of them on the hook by the door, and collapsed onto the couch.

How was your day, dear?

Just a normal day, Ma. Gathering up the loose brimstone.

Ugh. I hate the smell of sulfur.

Yes, Ma, I know.