Tricks and Treats by Michael G. Cornelius

Author:Michael G. Cornelius [Cornelius, Michael G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Erotica/Gay Fiction
Publisher: MLR Press, LLC
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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The Sky Squid

Martha Quisenwood was the first to be taken.

It was a bright day when she was taken, sunny and warm, the first nearly hot day of June. Most of her neighbors were enjoying a quiet Sunday in their backyards, cooking with the family or lazily catching the bright rays of the early afternoon sun. They slathered their bodies in sunscreen so they could bare their flesh, bodies already beginning to smell of smoldering oil and lazy perspiration.

They had decided long ago not to worry about cancer or pollution or holes in the ozone layer. Some rituals of summer must be preserved; when true warmth finally came to Maine, they believed that they must allow themselves this one indulgence, even if just on that first, nearly hot day. So they stretched out in their backyards, adding color to achromatic skin, not caring for the consequences, not worrying about any negative aftereffects that may or may not occur ten, twenty, or thirty years down the road.

Turns out, they were right not to worry.

But Martha Quisenwood didn't think that way. Martha always considered the potential dire outcomes of all her actions. Martha saw the entire world that way, as an endless possibility of unhappy endings, each and every one always playing out in her mind, tragedies befalling her as a result of one careless decision. So Martha always hedged her bets; always drove the speed limit, never a mile over or under; always looked left, then right, then left and right again before crossing the street; always signaled fifty feet before any turn. She never jaywalked, never littered, never committed any infraction of any kind lest a police officer be watching.

To Martha, the world was a series of obstacles and perils, risks constantly needing to be navigated and avoided. And so Martha acted accordingly: she was cautious, decorous, proper and prim. Her attitude was reflected in both her guise and her visage. She wore sensible shoes and full-length dresses, Laura Ashley knock-offs, proper attire for a lady. The neighborhood children would no doubt describe her face as an oversized prune with beady eyes and a thin-lipped mouth. The wrinkles came, not with age or wear, but from the care and worry that was Martha's relentless companion.

Her house was the one home in all the neighborhood the children strove to avoid, not so much out of fear of Martha herself, but rather out of worry from their parents, who wished to avoid “old Mrs. Quisenwood” even more than their children did, and never appreciated Martha's stern, unending lectures when an errant cat, ball, or child strayed accidentally into her yard.

Thus, on a glorious day like today, Martha was appropriately attired for working in her yard. Loose, denim coveralls to keep her person clean; a long-sleeved shirt and gloves, even on such a warm day, to protect her from ticks; comfortable yet sturdy boots in case there was any mud; a large, floppy hat to shield her eyes and face from the tincture of the sun.

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