By Jo Gatenby
No TV; waste of money, Mama says. Only textbooks; fiction wasted time.
I scavenge firewood to cook homegrown peas fer food, the husked shells boiled fer poke salad. Mama says, “No point wasting.”
Neighbor brung us a scrawny chicken what got too old for laying. Mama kept every single plucked feather for quilt stuffing afore stretching the meat to last four meals. Then she stewed the bones fer soup. Mama don’t hold with waste.
When a drunk driver kilt Mama, I sat with her body. Then I sighed and went to sharpen my knives. “Waste not, want not,” Mama always said.
I love this! Waste not, want not, ha ha!
Thanx! My first official publication…I feel like a real author now!
whoa! Never saw that coming! Excellent!
Great, thanx! I do love a twist ending…
Wow i love the ending! Well done
Very kind, thank you
I’m sure Mama would approve…
HA! Probably!
Channeling your inner Stephen King! Gave me the willies. Good job.
How kind of you…thanx!
wow sis that made me shiver!!
The next one is sweeter, I promise!
Good one!
Thank you!
Nice twist at the end, didn’t see that coming.
Bahahahah! Oh beautiful twist. I did not see this going horror. Love it.
Was anticipating a twist ending, but not that! Good work! Btw,Eww!
Well done, Jo. Looking forward to #2.
Good job, Jo!
That last paragraph! Did not see it coming – well done!
Great twist. Your first publication. You should be proud. My guess is there will be many more.
Satisfyingly chilling. Loved it!
I liked the twist too. Sitting there, expecting something poignant, when what follows is actually slightly horrific :-0 Amazing for an initial publication. Well done 😉
Wow! what a story! Sharp and tight with that ending! Did not see that coming. So powerful. Well done.
I love the voice in this piece!
Fantastic piece, Jo. You’ve written a mini classic!
They do say that cannibals are right: they know what is best to eat! Nice one.