Universal Demarchy

in

"I hate doing this," Sam muttered. She and Chris took another step with the long line toward the curtained booths ahead of them.

Chris rolled her eyes. "You've said that a hundred times. Maybe you won't in a few minutes."

Sam snorted. "Minutes? My ass. We'll be lucky to be through in a few hours."

"Ugh." Chris slouched. "Hopefully you'll be a little more positive. All that negativity can't be good for you."

"God, why do I even talk to you?"

"God only knows."

They passed the next forty-five minutes in silence. At the front of the line Sam paused. In a small voice, she said, "Let's just turn around. Let's go. We don't have to... to do this."

"Oh, sweetie." Chris put a hand on her cheek. "Everybody deserves a chance to be anybody. President, CEO, homeless. Lover. They'll keep us together, we did the paperwork."

"Just... will it really be us?"

"All the times we've done this, and... who knows?" The technician ushered them past their respective curtains. "See you on the other side."

"Sure."

On the other side, one turned to the other. "Boungiorno. I'm Valentina." She held out a hand.

The other took it. "Xiu Ying."

A Moment of Frustration

in

Gabriela had a five-year-old, which meant she had a problem making her brush her teeth. When asked, in a moment of frustration, why in all the faiths on Earth did Zahra fight so hard, she said,

Because when I brush my teeth the toothbrush cleans down and down until it's brushing inside out and it'll suck me in if I don't stop in time.

Well, that was too impossible to be true and too detailed to be a lie. Next time Zahra brushed her teeth, Gabi was there to watch. She watched as the toothbrush slipped deeper and deeper into Zarha's mouth and almost panicked, fearing choking, but stopped when

She saw a different angle in the mirror This one showed her the toothbrush disappearing in a spiral that grew small with distance, surrounded by a yawning void so absent of all quality it could not even be called black.

Gabi pulled Zahra's hand away from her mouth. Dimensionality returned to rightness, and she blinked away an afterimage that held as much as the void had held nothing

"Those are all baby teeth, anyway." She led her daughter out of the bathroom. "Now about why you don't flush the toilet..."

Prove Me Wrong

in

My breath misted in the yellow lights over the stairs up from the subway. Another puff of mist caught my eye at the top of the stairs, but my second glance proved me wrong. Someone was smoking, a woman thoroughly bundled against the cold, looking straight ahead as she started her descent for a three am train. I slowed as she approached and leaned on the handrail.

"Y'know what's gross?" I said. "Strangers who stop you on the street to criticize you for smoking." I grinned.

"Y'know what else?" She didn't look at me or slow as she spoke. "Men who stop women on the street without consideration for the potential safety implications."

I stopped and watched her disappear into the tunnels. I wanted to tell her I wasn't like those guys, that wasn't me. But that'd only prove me wrong.

This Meat Market

in

"Hey." Alicia quirked an eyebrow and a smile at the half-naked man. "How you doin'?"

"Miss?" An older man approached, sounding concerned.

She glanced over. "A bit young for you, doncha think?"

His eyes widened in confusion. "Miss, are you... flirting with Jesus?"

Alicia looked up at the man on the cross with a smile. "Is that your name?" She bit her lip. "Strong, silent type? You really hit all my buttons. Bingo!" She laughed, a little self-consciously.

"Miss, this is a church." The priest gently turned her toward the door.

"Did I say you could touch me?"

"Wuh.... No."

"Next time I'll scream." She turned back to Jesus. "Now how about you and I get out of here?"

"Miss, I..." He tried to herd her without touching her, so his hands hovered around her shoulders. She ignored him.

"Don't worry, Jeezy, I may be looking 'cause you're smokin', but I want to know the man behind the muscles. Maybe we fit, maybe we don't, y'know?"

"Thank God," Jesus said, pulling free of the cross. "Most of the time I just feel so objectified, y'know?"

"Let's get outta this meat market."

Gasping in a pew, the priest watched them leave.