Joshua Scribner is the author of the novels "Nescata" and "The Coma Lights". His fiction won both second
and fifth place in the 2008 Whispering Spirits Flash Fiction contest. Joshua currently lives in Michigan with his
wife and two daughters.Up to date information on his work can be found at joshuascribner.com.
and fifth place in the 2008 Whispering Spirits Flash Fiction contest. Joshua currently lives in Michigan with his
wife and two daughters.Up to date information on his work can be found at joshuascribner.com.
Unfeeling
"I don't normally pick up hitchhikers, but I had a good feeling about you."
The man wearing the wife-beater and sporting tattoo-covered arms shook and cried. Mattie felt bad for him, but she was
sure he would be fine. She reached over to touch his shoulder.
"Don't touch me!"
She withdrew her hand.
"Snakes crawling on my skin! Skeletons tickling me! Birds pecking my face!"
"None of those things are happening, Sir."
He bawled and screamed. She left him alone, somehow suspecting it would run its course. It did.
"Sorry about that," he said. "I just had to get it all out."
"I understand. Sometimes, you just got to have a good cry and let those feelings go. As I was saying, I had a good
feeling about you."
"Of course you did. I took away your fear."
"You took away my fear?"
"Yes."
She couldn't help but smirk. "I don't believe in such things."
He grinned, which looked odd, with his face still wet and swollen from his crying fit. "Well, I could take away your disbelief,
but I'd rather show you."
"Show me?"
"Sure. Wanna get high?"
She shook her head. "Never been into it."
He laughed. "It's not what you think. Stop at that gas station."
She did. He got out of her car and waved for her to come. Standing at the entrance, he stuck out his hand.
"Let's get high."
She took the hand and they went in. There were three people in line at the counter, all staring at Mattie and the
hitchhiker. The man in front's head fell, as if he'd just gotten terrible news. The woman behind him grimaced, as if in
pain. The teenaged boy behind her looked as if he could attack someone.
Mattie felt something like cool air rise up inside her.
"What is that?"
"That's joy. Now, don't get too close to anyone. People have all kinds of reactions when they lose it."
At one side of the gas station was a Subway. The girl there broke out crying.
"Shut up!" the gas-station attendant shouted.
A giggle escaped Mattie.
He squeezed her hand.
"Save it!"
He pulled her to the door. They got back in her car, and the laughter exploded from both of them. It was the most
glorious feeling she'd ever had. After about ten minutes, it wore off.
"The people."
"They'll recover, probably."
She looked at him. She still didn't feel fear, and she didn't feel too sorry for those who'd been robbed.
"Where to next?" she asked.
"Well, if you want, we could go find some horny kids and give them a temporary aversion to each other."
"I don't normally pick up hitchhikers, but I had a good feeling about you."
The man wearing the wife-beater and sporting tattoo-covered arms shook and cried. Mattie felt bad for him, but she was
sure he would be fine. She reached over to touch his shoulder.
"Don't touch me!"
She withdrew her hand.
"Snakes crawling on my skin! Skeletons tickling me! Birds pecking my face!"
"None of those things are happening, Sir."
He bawled and screamed. She left him alone, somehow suspecting it would run its course. It did.
"Sorry about that," he said. "I just had to get it all out."
"I understand. Sometimes, you just got to have a good cry and let those feelings go. As I was saying, I had a good
feeling about you."
"Of course you did. I took away your fear."
"You took away my fear?"
"Yes."
She couldn't help but smirk. "I don't believe in such things."
He grinned, which looked odd, with his face still wet and swollen from his crying fit. "Well, I could take away your disbelief,
but I'd rather show you."
"Show me?"
"Sure. Wanna get high?"
She shook her head. "Never been into it."
He laughed. "It's not what you think. Stop at that gas station."
She did. He got out of her car and waved for her to come. Standing at the entrance, he stuck out his hand.
"Let's get high."
She took the hand and they went in. There were three people in line at the counter, all staring at Mattie and the
hitchhiker. The man in front's head fell, as if he'd just gotten terrible news. The woman behind him grimaced, as if in
pain. The teenaged boy behind her looked as if he could attack someone.
Mattie felt something like cool air rise up inside her.
"What is that?"
"That's joy. Now, don't get too close to anyone. People have all kinds of reactions when they lose it."
At one side of the gas station was a Subway. The girl there broke out crying.
"Shut up!" the gas-station attendant shouted.
A giggle escaped Mattie.
He squeezed her hand.
"Save it!"
He pulled her to the door. They got back in her car, and the laughter exploded from both of them. It was the most
glorious feeling she'd ever had. After about ten minutes, it wore off.
"The people."
"They'll recover, probably."
She looked at him. She still didn't feel fear, and she didn't feel too sorry for those who'd been robbed.
"Where to next?" she asked.
"Well, if you want, we could go find some horny kids and give them a temporary aversion to each other."
Joshua Scribner
