Another day hustling for work in the Squid capital; another fistful of gaudy local currency; another day closer to Earth, and revenge on her ex-partner; another night in her Alientown shanty, among miserable fellow-humans and a menagerie of extraplanetary riffraff.
The knock came, as always.
She answered the door without hesitation.
Thrusting most of the bills at the leering Squid, she snatched the tiny gold-wrapped parcel. She popped the contents into her mouth.
The wrapping drifted to the floor. It bore one word: Ghirardelli.
She collapsed onto her mattress, her troubles forgotten.
Tomorrow, though, she’d keep all the money.
Tomorrow.
[Originally Published in The Drabbler #15, November 2009]
Desmond Warzel is the author of a few dozen short stories in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres. These have appeared in nifty magazines such as Fantasy & Science Fiction, at well-regarded websites such as Tor.com, and on newfangled podcasts such as Escape Pod. He lives in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Website: https://desmondwarzel.wordpress.com/
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