The mysterious stranger in front of them poked his head over the seat like a commercial interruption. He said nothing. The conductor returned. He held another note in his hand. He gave him the note. He took it. He still said nothing.
An old woman walked by, acting suspicious. She carried a loaded question. He saw it was still smoking. She looked back from the window. He went away. She kept walking.
He handed her the note. He sat back, still saying nothing. He looked up. She backed down. He remained neutral. The conductor returned for a tip. He tipped him, but too far.
The woman wet her lips. Her tongue was a cobra, ready to strike. Her head was a basket. She dried her lips. The conductor was swept to sea. She returned and discharged her duty, point blank. He butted in to add his two cents. It came to two cents. He butted out.
His eyes were still zippers. They spoke volumes. He turned it up. She was startled. She looked at him as if he were a sponge. The Yanomamo Indians of Yoknapatawpha County came in and yelled for yellow Jello.
It’s yellow.
Jello.
And.
We like it.
“Not so fast!” he said.
How did he know?
II. NOTES
Many things happened at once. Then for a while, things ceased to happen. Then, suddenly, things happened again.
III. SAMPLE ESSAY QUESTIONS
It has been said that the final line, “Not so fast!” encapsulates Everyman’s struggle in our modern society. What is the contemporary interpretation of this?
Why or why not?
Says who?
Some critics have complained that the metaphors and similes in “Contemporary Interpretations of Minute Mysteries” are uncalled-for. Do you agree or disagree?
Why?
What makes you an authority?
Define croutons. How does the author mean for you to see them?
How would Freud see them?
Jung?
The young Freud?
Compare this plot with that in James’ Portrait of a Lady is a Tramp. What would Ol’ Blue Eyes have to say about it?
Why or why not?
What color were James’ eyes?
His back? Use examples.
About the Author
CARL S. PLUMER was born in New York City, holds advanced degrees in writing, and has spent his life surrounded by words. He’s delivered newspapers, worked at a printing press, managed a bookstore, taught writing, wrote for literary magazines, published technical and fiction books, and has always considered himself a writer. His first novel, Mad About Undead You, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarterfinalist and a National Indie Excellence Award Finalist. Carl lives with his wife Kristen and their two black cats, Mr. Pixie and Miss Dixie. Their children—Hannah, Joseph, Kira, and Lee—live around the globe pursuing their dreams.
Connect with Carl
blog
http://www.carlplumer.com/
twitter
https://twitter.com/carlplumer
google+
https://plus.google.com/+CarlPlumer/
facebook
https://www.facebook.com/carl.plumer
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to everyone who has believed in my dream from the beginning (Kristen!), my fans, my fellow writers (Hannah!), my family (Kira, Joseph, and Lee—and Hannah again here, too).
Thank you to everyone—mentors, readers, fans, friends—who helped me shape these stories, both directly and indirectly. I hope you know how much you mean to me.
Thanks to Rebecca Hamilton, Beth Lynne, and Kristen Plumer for editing and proofreading this collection. Special thanks to Alan Davidson for the awesome cover art. I think it’s a perfect fit for my stories.
And a special thanks to Pam Casto for teaching me how to get to the essence of a story in as few words as possible. Find out more about Pam’s flash fiction course at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FlashFictionFlash/info.
If you enjoyed DEADLY SHORT STORIES, you you might really like Carl S. Plumer’s novels…
Deadly Short Stories Page 6