Positive

It’s New Year’s Eve and Chad is in quarantine. His Covid-19 test came back negative the first time and he’s waiting on the next one. He doesn’t feel sick and he’s confident the test will come back negative.

With champagne in hand and the ball getting ready to drop, his dog Buddy, cuddles by the warmth of the fireplace like any other night, unaware of a new year ahead.

He watches the lonely host at Times Square shivering from the cold as he counts down. The ball drops and Chad chugs his champagne.

The next afternoon Chad’s test is positive.

From Guest Contributor Lisa Scuderi-Burkimsher

Confession

I did it. I killed her in cold blood. I hesitated at first, but she finally got on my nerves.

She tickled my ears, sat on my lap, and touched my private body parts. I asked her to stop but she kept going.

I slapped her in the face. She dropped onto the floor at once. Her skinny, crooked legs twitched a few times in utter disbelief and then she went silent. I picked her up, dropped her dead body in the garbage can, washed my hands, and went back to work.

My office is a “No-Fly Zone.” No exceptions.

From Guest Contributor, Olga Klezovitch

Olga is a scientist who lives in Seattle. Her previous work has appeared in 50-Word Stories and Necon E-Books.