Already Talking like a Real Man by Bogdan Dragos

their deaths were

four

days apart

first went father

and then

mother

And now the dark smoke

took the shape of

a cat

and clung to his

shoulder, digging sharp

claws into his

tender flesh

“It hurts,” he cried

“Oh, shut up,” the smoke cat

said, “Be a man. In this

world only the

strong survive. While the weak…

look what happens

to them. You must

become strong.

So start with your father,

he’s been

dead for longer.”

“But I’m scared of blood,”

he cried. “And it

stinks in here.”

“You’re scared because

you’re still not a man

yet. Grab the

fucking cleaver and start

working!”

He didn’t want to die

like them. So he

raised the cleaver above

father’s violet wrist

and dropped it

The blood

squirted stale and

stinky

in all directions

“Ew!”

“Ew is well said,” hissed the

cat. “That was

below pathetic. How…