Contributor: Kristina England
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Darlene looked up at the bird house, then at the ground.
Ten very dead birds were piled at its base.
Her mouth stayed downward drawn as her husband joined her.
"Honey, he didn't know," Sam said, pulling his gardening gloves on.
"He's fifteen. How the heck didn't he know?"
"No one ever told him."
"It's common knowledge."
"Oh please. Remember that story you told me?" Sam said with a wry smile.
"What story?"
"About your attempt at making chocolate pudding at sixteen."
Darlene bit her lip.
"Remind me again what happened?"
"I used water instead of milk. But I didn't kill anything."
"Yeah, but you had instructions on the back of the box. Rice doesn't come with a label that says, 'Warning: Kills birds.'"
"Why do you have to be so... so..."
"Logical?"
"Yes."
"Well, someone has to," he said with a wink. "Now how about you put on some gloves and help me bury these poor things?"
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Kristina England is a Virgo residing in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her poetry and fiction is published or forthcoming in Extract(s), Gargoyle, New Verse News, The Story Shack, The Quotable, Tipton Poetry Journal, and other magazines.
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- -
Darlene looked up at the bird house, then at the ground.
Ten very dead birds were piled at its base.
Her mouth stayed downward drawn as her husband joined her.
"Honey, he didn't know," Sam said, pulling his gardening gloves on.
"He's fifteen. How the heck didn't he know?"
"No one ever told him."
"It's common knowledge."
"Oh please. Remember that story you told me?" Sam said with a wry smile.
"What story?"
"About your attempt at making chocolate pudding at sixteen."
Darlene bit her lip.
"Remind me again what happened?"
"I used water instead of milk. But I didn't kill anything."
"Yeah, but you had instructions on the back of the box. Rice doesn't come with a label that says, 'Warning: Kills birds.'"
"Why do you have to be so... so..."
"Logical?"
"Yes."
"Well, someone has to," he said with a wink. "Now how about you put on some gloves and help me bury these poor things?"
- - -
Kristina England is a Virgo residing in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her poetry and fiction is published or forthcoming in Extract(s), Gargoyle, New Verse News, The Story Shack, The Quotable, Tipton Poetry Journal, and other magazines.
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Kristina England
