The first Sunday Short I posted was Kelly Link's 'The Fairy Handbag', which remains one of my favourite shorts ever from one of my favourite collections ever,
Magic for Beginners (which everyone should read and own and treasure). I figure I've given it enough time between to post another now,
The Hortlak, which is another beautifully crafted piece about three people and a convenience store that straddles the land between the living and the dead. I'd love to say more about it, but I'd prefer it if you just read it. I really want to live in Kelly Link's brain, because I think it would be the most glorious place.
Charley looked like someone from a Greek play, Electra, or Cassandra.
She looked like someone had just set her favorite city on fire. Eric
had thought that, even before he knew about the dogs.
Sometimes, when she didn’t have a dog in the Chevy, Charley came into
the All-Night Convenience to buy a Mountain Dew, and then she and Batu
would go outside to sit on the curb. Batu was teaching her Turkish.
Sometimes Eric went outside as well, to smoke a cigarette. He didn’t
really smoke, but it meant he got to look at Charley, the way the
moonlight sat on her like a hand. Sometimes she looked back. Wind would
rise up, out of the Ausible Chasm, across Ausible Chasm Road, into the
parking lot of the All-Night, tugging at Batu’s pajama bottoms, pulling
away the cigarette smoke that hung out of Eric’s mouth. Charley’s bangs
would float up off her forehead, until she clamped them down with her
fingers.
Batu said he was not flirting. He didn’t have a thing for Charley. He
was interested in her because Eric was interested. Batu wanted to know
what Charley’s story was: he said he needed to know if she was good
enough for Eric, for the All-Night Convenience. There was a lot at
stake.
You can read The Hortlak over on Link's website.
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