The Sin of Proximity

by Grant Hettrick
94 words


She wore camel colored Uggs and had visible panty lines under gray chiffon sweats. Her straw hair peeked from under a hot-pink alpaca hat. A snowsuit bundled toddler held her hand and their boots made tiny footprints on the gossamer layer of snow-brushed sidewalk.

Arbitrary gusts of winter wind seemed intent on flaying every inch of exposed skin from victims whose only sin was proximity. The pessimists cursed the bitter chill, the stoics endured, the optimists dreamed of summer. Mother and child twisted and twirled as they tried to catch snowflakes with their tongues.




Grant's work has or will soon appear in Peeks and Valleys, Heavy Glow, Toasted Cheese and Ruthless Peoples Magazine. He likes to eat bowls of Honey-Oat Cheerios and play Sorry Sliders with his wife and and children.

Flawed

by Grant Hettrick
91 words


I emptied my bank account to buy my fiancé, Mary, the most beautiful engagement ring, quite sure I didn't deserve her.

"Look," the jeweler said. He handed me his conical glass and a small brilliant diamond. "See the flaw toward the bottom?"

I convinced myself I saw the merest cloud, but more than anything, I deferred to his expertise.

"If it wasn't for that flaw, this would be perfect," the jeweler continued. "And when I'm done with the setting, it will be impossible to notice unless you already know it's there."

Grant Hettrick enjoys writing fiction and enjoys reading fiction with his two children, Nate and Maddy. His work has appeared in Peeks and Valleys, Heavy Glow and Toasted Cheese.