Aphelion Issue 301, Volume 28
December 2024 / January 2025
 
Editorial    
Long Fiction and Serials
Short Stories
Flash Fiction
Poetry
Features
Series
Archives
Submission Guidelines
Contact Us
Forum
Flash Writing Challenge
Forum
Dan's Promo Page
   

Seed of Justice

by Terry Lowenstein


He finally made it.
Years of back stabbing,
and dirty deals had paid off.
CEO.

He laughed.
Laughed at his so called rivals.
And, smiled at his secretary.
Young,
young enough to be his daughter.
His daughter, he hadn't,
thought of her in years.
Now thinking of her, only reminded him,
of how he screwed her mother.
His ex-wife, so trusting, so gullible.
Yes, she had been the only one.
who loved him.
She had been a fool,
putty in his hands.
Ah, the things "good lawyers"
can do.

Yes, CEO.
The cards of congratulation,
lay on the counter.
The basket near them,
festive enough.
Just another corporate gift.
There would be many.
He laughed at the gift card,
that accompanied it.
"You lucky SOB!"
Luck had nothing to do with it.

He picked up a tangerine.
Tore back the peel.
Bit into it.
The juice ran down his chin.
But, he was distracted.
Choking on a seed,
he reached in vain,
for his buzzer.
Help arrived.
But, not soon enough.
Justice.
Yes, it does exist.


© 2003, 2007 Terry Lowenstein

Terry Lowenstein is a poet and freelance writer who lives in North Carolina with her husband, two daughters and two cats-Dickens and Emerson. Her day job is writing magazine and newspaper articles that include personal essays, travel articles and book reviews. A well published writer her work appears in anthologies, journals, magazines and newspapers throughout the United States and internationally.

Find more by Terry Lowenstein in the Author Index.

Comment on this story in the Aphelion Forum

Return to Aphelion's Index page.