The phone rang while Emma was washing last night’s dishes and listening to Country & Western music. It was the vet saying that her dog Bronco had died. No sooner did she hang up but it rang again. It was the mechanic reporting that her pickup truck was beyond repair. But before she could fully grasp the news, the phone beeped. This time a text from her boyfriend Steve saying that he had met someone else. Emma staggered to the radio, switched to a rock ’n roll station, and sank to the kitchen floor. That’s when the doorbell rang. She didn’t want to answer it. But when she finally dragged herself over and opened the door, it was Publishers Clearing House. In the following half-hour, she bought a new truck, ordered the complete Lady Gaga collection, and texted Steve “AMF.” Then she called the vet and asked him to make arrangements to have the dog cloned. That was about the time she felt something wet on her legs. Emma opened her eyes and found Bronco licking her knees. She couldn’t believe her good fortune. Emma went back to washing the dishes, but not before texting Steve, “We are so done.”



Jim Woessner works as a visual artist and writer living on the water in Sausalito, California. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington College. His publishing credits include The Daily Drunk, Flash Fiction Magazine, Close to the Bone, Adelaide Magazine, Potato Soup Journal, The Sea Letter, and others.