OCTOBER '04

The Exit Colony
by Spencer Dew

Pissing
by Shane Jones

Something Happened
by Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz

The Apothecary
by Alan Danzis

Well Protected
by Tim Bacon

One night we heard a drill. A small hole appeared in our bedroom wall. We were certain that poison gas would soon seep through the hole. We rushed to plug it, but before we could, a cylinder of paper was pushed through. When we unrolled it all it said was, “We are dying. Please help us.”

Of course we reported this incident to the proper authorities immediately. It was not unusual for them to try and trick us and play upon our sympathies. They are not to be trusted. After all that is why we built the Fence in the first place.

We are not rich people. That is why we live right on the border. We could only afford to build our house because we used the Fence as one of its four walls. They have done the same just on the other side of us.

Still we can’t help but wonder if it is true that they are in dire need just on the other side of our common wall. But then we ask ourselves, “Would they worry about us if the tables were turned?”

The men came the next day. They maneuvered in thick steel plates and bolted them to the wall. “That should fix the problem. I’m sure you won’t be bothered by them anymore. There’s no way they can break through again.”

That night we heard a faint tapping on the wall. It was just enough to keep us awake all night. We felt it our duty to alert the authorities once again.

The men came back and this time they installed six inch thick foam insulation to soundproof our bedroom. “There’s no way they can make a loud enough noise to bother you now. You’ll sleep well tonight.”

That night we heard someone crying. Even with all the soundproofing it was so loud we couldn’t sleep at all. It sounded like it was right inside our heads. We were bleary eyed in the morning when we complained to the officials. Something must be done immediately.

At lunch time, our house shook violently. We ran outside and saw smoke rising over on the other side of the Fence, directly behind our house. It is no more than they deserve. We are sure of that. Now we can sleep in peace once again.

That night it was quiet. We wondered what happened to them. Where will they sleep now? No doubt they will be taken in by their families. They have such large families. Then we thought of the rubble on the other side and thanked God for the Fence that keeps us safe.