Monty Rediscovers Home

Six-year-old Monty, a master of his plastic sword, calculates strikes against imaginary giants while he takes cover behind backyard trees. When his mother’s voice pierces through his fantasy, calling him for dinner, the warrior boy marches home victorious.

Forty-year-old Monty daydreams of being a fearless commander defending his country against terrorists and, at night, dreams of being a superhero saving his city from crime and corruption.

While cleaning out his garage, Monty finds his plastic sword and wields it again, destroying enemies with a battle cry whoop. The brave boy/man rediscovers his inner sanctuary to face his lackluster world.

From Guest Contributor Leigh-Anne Burley

Karma Police

They said that AI law enforcement tools would mean the end of false accusations and innocent incarcerations. There was an initial trial period for the technology to iron out all the kinks, but it did seem the system was much fairer than before. The AI wasn't racist or sexist or liable to bribes and corruption.

Unfortunately, soon after full implementation the scope of crimes being charged grew exponetially. No longer were they focused solely on the worst offenses. Misdemeanors, microaggressions, impoliteness, dress code violations, and even excessive curses were now punishable by jail time.

We called them the karma police.

Rotten Teeth

Staring down at my bloody teeth, I vowed this would be the last I had this nightmare.

Dr. Lawson called them stress dreams and suggested I examine where my anxiety was coming from. Only I knew their true source. I wasn't going to share it with my therapist.

I tried washing my hands, but soap and water couldn't cure the corruption. My soul had turned, many years ago, and the only way to end its blight was to take my own life. Or to kill again.

Dr. Lawson was the next victim to pay the price for my own cowardice.

Happy Halloween

Victor Coolidge

The larger an election, the greater the opportunity for corruption. In the largest city in the solar system, people assume it's easy to manufacture tens of millions of votes. For this reason, no one believed that Victor Coolidge, mayor of Colossolopolis, was duly elected. But his grip on power hardened over the years and seemed unlikely to end in anyone's natural lifespan.

But when Coolidge was discovered eating infant flesh in the vents, the news spread through the city at light speed.

Not many people believed Coolidge could overcome the scandal, but he knew all he needed was a scapegoat.

Part Four