A little coffee will perk me right up

Matthew Gomez Flash Fiction Challenge: Sub Genre Mash-Up of Southern Gothic and Cosmic Horror “Cotton Farmer”

Cotton Farmer

By EF Sweetman

My dear Mama passed on while bringing me into this world-her one baby girl. Nine strapping boys couldn’t kill her, it was me, her tiniest baby. Nannie and Poppy came to help take care of us and run the farm when Momma died. Nannie always said Daddy was just so broken hearted, ready to give up, but I was only thing that could make him smile. 

We fell on lean…

Up early, getting my coffee before deciding do I kill time on the bad news, or write with a clean head. Large, milk no sugar.

I gave up the sugar in my coffee in 1987 because I ran out of sugar and there wasn’t any money to get more. I tried to drink it black, but just can’t. Mr. Ocho-ocho learned to drink it black in the Navy-no milk on the ship, and it was terrible with just sugar, that was…

Large, milk, no sugar, thanks.

That didn’t take long, did it? News on the radio is that senators can’t get together in the biggest health crisis in over one hundred years. And depending on your political slant, it’s either they’re holding out for more for the actual workers, or they’re still blocking anything the other side wants-so business as usual. Which could not be any farther from this…

Up early, still dark. I’ve never been a good sleeper, so why start now?

Large, milk, no sugar.

It’s my dad’s birthday. He’s 89. He’s awesome. I mean it, he’s an amazing guy-both my parents are amazing. I’m so lucky, both parents are alive and well-managing through this with phone calls from the five of us.

Yep, five kids. In seven years. I gained serious respect for my parents the…

It’s been years, hasn’t it? How’s everyone been? Kind of a rough time to ask, given the epic event that we’re in right now. I hope, pray, wish–all those foamy, easy words that come automatically–that you are doing well and can weather this through without unspeakable loss that is predicted.

I want to use this as something of a coffee shop. Drop in, exchange pleasantries for the purpose of…

Don’t Panic Earthlings

I am so out of line here, and I’ll pay for this later. Really pay. But I’m like most of you earthlings-with your priorities so out of whack that it’s a wonder how you survive each day; I can’t scroll by a video of a pathetic puppy without clicking on it, then crying for anywhere up to an hour, then devoting the rest of my day to saving pathetic puppies.

I’ll spare you the details of what I am…