24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY december 26, 2024-january 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com paid respects and flew away, when the raven swooped down again, carrying away the body in sharp talons to another place unknown. Letting Go By Jill Ostrie The bird flapped its wings against the steel bars, longing for freedom. Each morning, sunlight streamed through the tiny window, teasing it with the promise of open skies. One day, a child approached the cage, eyes wide with wonder. “Why is it locked?” she asked her father. “To keep it safe,” he replied. The girl frowned, then opened the latch without hesitation. “Safe isn’t the same as free.” The bird hesitated, then soared through the window, its wings slicing through the air freely. From below, the child smiled. “See? Sometimes letting go is the safest thing of all.” Seventy-four Inches By Kay Mehren Six-feet-two in ninth grade, she learned the usual questions and the best responses. “You play basketball?” “No. You play miniature golf?” “You a model?” “No, I’m life-size.” “How tall are you?” “A hundred and ninety centimeters.” “Huh?” “Seventy-four inches.” “Seven foot four! Wow!” “That’s right: ten inches in a foot.” She’d stopped worrying about boys staring at her bust—“My front pack,” she called it. “They’re free to look. It’s at eye level for most of them.” She’d learned from her mother how to sew, modifying store-bought clothes to her shape, and making some of her own. One adapts. The Menu By Brian Rutana The restaurant review said “small and intimate.” Understatement. It was smaller than a single car garage. Tiny candlelit tables lined both sides. The back wall showcased a large aquarium, like a giant screen TV. We perused menus the size of newspapers. Suddenly mine was on fire. The candle. Very flammable menu. A panicky moment. The aquarium was just a few steps away. About to leave my seat, the waiter gratefully reappeared. He snatched the burning menu and slipped through a door beside the aquarium where colorful fish languidly searched for freedom, unaware that their boredom almost got a little exciting. On the Train By Lud Geiger I sit three seats from the back of the car. He sits two seats in front of me. I read the morning newspaper. The minutes pass so slowly. The conductor enters the car, clips tickets, exchanges a few words...A moment of sheer terror. At the station, the train comes to a chugging halt. Passengers disembark. He follows me. Fortunately, the rail police are engaged elsewhere. We walk along the dock. He stays close by. At the rail cafe, I stop for a morning coffee. He walks on, the guide follows, soon leading the rescued fugitive to safety and freedom. Time Passes By Jill Ostrie For generations, the residents of Monterey lived alongside the sea, knowing its rhythms like their own heartbeat. Old man Harold, the last of his line, had fished these waters for 70 years. One morning, as he lowered his boat into the waves, he thought of the land his family had tended for centuries. The sea, too, was their inheritance—its freedom, his legacy. His granddaughter, Emma, joined him, her eyes full of dreams. “What’s it like, Grandpa?” He smiled, casting his line. “It’s like living in the same place forever, but the ocean—well, it never stays the same. It frees you.” The Nature of Her Game By John Fredrickson While complaining loud and long about the terrible weather, Junior (He, Him) was overheard by the devil. Recognizing an opportunity for mischief, Lucifer (She, Her) offered Junior unrestrained freedom to control next year’s weather. They made the deal. A lovely year followed: not too hot or cold, neither too wet nor dry. Harvest time, however, was disastrous. Junior had forgotten to manage the wind that self-pollinating plants need for successful crops. Famine loomed. Satan gleefully rewarded the neophyte mastermind. Leveraging her considerable political connections, she secured for Junior a senior position in Central Planning at the Ministry of the Economy. Perfect Pear By Peggy Beard I gently press the knife into a point near the top, and I’m pleased to see no greenish tinge. Lopping off the first curved slice, I quickly raise the blade and free a thin, curling slice. As it falls to the plate, I see the glistening promise of a sweet bite. Raising the slice to my mouth, I revel in the subtle flavor with its slight crunch. I nod and smile, and he picks up a slice. “This may be the best pear I’ve ever had,” he comments. “This is important,” I reply. “This, right here, is what matters.” 2026 Midterms By Gary Bolen Jennifer was excited to be voting in her very first national election. The 2026 midterms had the potential of bringing about real change. There had been some confusion about the “Fair Elections Act” of 2025, but Presidentfor-Life Donald Trump had assured a nervous population that these elections would be the most scandal free ever. A uniformed volunteer handed her a ballot saying, “You can drop it in the box right over there.” Confused, Jennifer inquired, “But where do I go to fill it out?” He replied, “Oh, don’t worry about that dear. It’s already been filled out for you.” Christmas Carol Part 2 By Jaime Guzman Ebenezer Scrooge walked around the orphaned child on the street before briefly pausing. He had remembered the ghost of Christmas future’s warning. It was Christmas Eve after all. “Young child, what is it you want for Christmas this year?” The child with little strength pointed towards the toy store across the way. Ebenezer looked towards the building and nodded. Ebenezer then ran back to the boy with a boxed train set before running away. The store manager walked with a policeman towards the boy. “Stolen toys aren’t free, kid,” he said. They didn’t call Scrooge a miser for nothing. Life of a Typical Middle School Kid By Justin Kim Another Monday morning. The same as the past eight years. Get up at 7, quick shower, brush my teeth, breakfast, then off to another torturous six hours of school. As I approach campus, I’m greeted by cheery teachers (I don’t get how they’re so cheery). There’s not “MEN STOP GIVING WOMEN UNWANTED SPERM.” A man called out, “Teacher, freely tell us of the soul.” He couldn’t pay. “Welcome to Elf Academy.” “Man Depletes Woman’s Energy, Disappears.” A curious cloud leopard paws at it, shits on it, moves on. Victim and victor simultaneously peed their poetic pants. Fred pulled out a carrot instead of a ticket. “Dad, they have a short story contest, you should enter it!” “I have no interest whatsoever in entering a story contest.” Don’t let your daughter read the Weekly. “Coal is out. Turnips are in.” Damn Elon! Free oil changes were forgotten. Sock chaos had taken over. Unfortunately, he lived in Chicken City, where burgers were banned. Using his twenty-two as a cane, Slim opened the door. “I no speaka Italiano.” “Any woman over age 18 who doesn’t freely have a child during the calendar year will be sent to an Artificial Insemination Clinic.” “Confirmed: Liberal. Secure and detain for questioning.” “I can pass gas to the vowel sounds.” He stared at the glistening, orange, soupy mess before him. I didn’t tell him the trail was steep but he ran down falling like a rock that knows its way home. 101-Word Short Story Contest No Context 101-word continued on pg. 33
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