Dustless

I have a fascination with the Dust Bowl, as an event and as a symbol. It comes to my mind often as a setting for stories. Usually it feels too big for flash fiction, but I went with it last week because I had no other ideas. I got a runner-up nod for this story, which surprised me, as I thought the conflict wasn’t dramatic enough, even though it may have been deep.

Dustless

The old jalopy sputtered to a halt. Tim was grinning like he’d swallowed cream. That boy had been nothing but trouble all...