Please Tell Me

by Mike Omer

Kathy limped alongside the road in the dark, hugging her doll to her chest. The doll was scared, because of the shadows, which was why Kathy clutched her so tightly. Sometimes, when you’re scared, the only thing that helps is a hug.

She hadn’t worn shoes for so long. For weeks . . . or months . . . she wasn’t sure. Maybe even a year.

“This is the before. I want you to get

some toys and place them here to show me how you were before Kathy disappeared.”

In the past year, Robin had had four kids from Bethelville who came to see her as a result of Kathy Stone’s disappearance.

Melody’s daughter Amy used to be best friends with Claire’s daughter, Kathy.

Thirty-One Forest claimed a new notoriety soon after Kathy’s disappearance. It was where the police had found her shoes.

Life gave her this child that suddenly was more important than anything else in the world, and then cruelly gave the child a mind of her own.

This was another thing the pandemic had killed, along with millions of people. It had killed spontaneity.

Her cart had three working wheels and one that was a free spirit who wanted to escape and tour the world.

Men shouldn’t be allowed to go shopping in the supermarket. They should be shot on sight if they walked in.