Latest crew micros

Bacchus Interruptus, by Chuck

"Are you gonna drink that, Ed?"
Ed holds the cup to his face and smiles. "I used to think the destruction of mankind was inevitable, you know? The angels, they smiled upon us and we cried..."
"If you're not going to drink it can I have it?"
"It's like poetry really, isn't it? The great iambic pentameter of the universe. No doubt, no doubt."
"I sure could use that drink."
Ed turns his massive head toward Billy and stares at him through half close eyes. "You want this?"
"Yea, yea, yeah. Please."
"When all is crushed and ruined around you, the soul of man ripped and tattered, all you can think about is this...little...cup?" Ed holds the cup high into the air, then close to Billy's face.
Billy stares at the cup for a few seconds.
"I, I wa, wa, want it," replied Billy.
"Then my dear young scoundrel, you shall have it."
Ed holds the cup out in front of his massive body. Billy snatches it and quickly consumes the contents. Ed stares at his little friend.
"You want more, don't you?"
Billy squirms.
"Don't you my good friend?"
"Ye, ye, yes, I do."
Ed flings his head back howling with laughter. Bouncing the tip of his cane on the linoleum floor, he slowly catches his breath. Billy jumps up and down in time with Ed's cane.
"Billy!" Comes a voice, "You get away from there and leave Ed alone!"
Billy scurries off, only to be stopped by the Head Nurse. "Have you been at Ed's medicine again? Have you?"
Billy bows his head.
Head Nurse looks over to smiling, Ed. "Oh, Ed, if you can't be trusted to take your meds, I'll have to feed them to you myself!"
"There are worse fates, my dear. Many, many worse fates than that." Ed leans back in his chair and studies the ruins around him.


***

Duel , by Roy


It was dawn.
Two figures stood back to back, swords drawn and held with points close to their right temples.
The first shouted. “Ten paces, on my mark.
The other said, “Let’s get on with it.”
“Ten… nine…” Each took large steps straight ahead.
At the count of seven one man snickered. The other broke up at "Four!" and hit the ground laughing.
The director yelled “Cut!” and screamed for the prop man.


***


Unintended Consequences, by Vee

It slams into the bark of a slender birch tree with the force of gunfire penetrating human flesh. And I, John Andrews, the newest star of the best law firm in the city, am guilty of this terrible thing.
Dread is not a kind emotion, and right now, it’s telling me that the powers-that-be at Lawson and Bridges will not look kindly on my intolerable act. Bridges is so ancient he calls me `Ron’, so I don’t have to worry about him. But Lawson has a history of firing young lawyers without notice. He won’t tolerate any kind of negligence.
Dear God, here he comes. I gulp down the bile that just climbed up into my throat.
I struggle to smile. But surely that makes me look like an ass.
“Andrews!” He barks like a mad dog on an August day. Three of his four jowls are shaking.
“Sir?” I hear my voice quivering as badly as his jowls.
“Made me feel good, boy. Thought I was the only golfer in the country club to keep hitting that damned tree. Now I can tell them to cut the freaking thing down. Good lad.”
“Sir,” I can lie with the best of them, “That’s precisely why I did it.”