My Cardboard Balcony

King Snake by Belinda Roddie King snake lost its crown in a two-story's garage with a sleek concrete shelter and lots of black bags to hide under before the whiskers of an angry broom man whisked it onto a driveway where it will seek out rats and rattlesnakes to silence.

Walter was emptying his fifth cup when his ex-wife arrived at the party. Donald had invited her, if only to hear about her latest escapades in Italy. The old man had become so fascinated with the atmosphere of Venice that he decided not to remember the fact that Walter and his wife had very painfully divorced. That is, until he saw Walter crushing his plastic cup into a wad in his periphery vision.