Dead Horse, NM

This is a story I wrote around 1991 or 1992. The way it came about is that a coworker was taking a creative writing class, which she thought would help make her creative. She came to work one day, and said the teacher had written DEAD HORSE, NM on the board. The assignment was to write a story based on the title. She didn't know where to start and asked me for advice. It sounded like fun, so I told her to cojur an image of 'Dead Horse, NM' and write about what she 'sees'. I decided to give it a go myself. Here's the result.


DEAD HORSE, NM

Munch. Munch.

‘Seen Mom?’
‘Are you kidding? It's so dark in here I can't see a bloody thing!’
‘Ha. Ha.’
‘What?’
‘You said “bloody”.’
‘Oh.’

Munch. Munch.

‘Where are we, anyway?’
‘Dead Horse.’
‘No shit. Really, where are we?’
‘New Mexico.’
‘Could you be more specific?’
‘Dead Horse.’
‘God. If I had limbs I'd pummel you.’
‘Look. We're in a dead horse in Dead Horse. Dead Horse, New Mexico. Got it?’
‘Okay, okay.’
‘Horse's name was Ernest.’
‘Oh, shut up and eat.’

Munch. Munch.

Munch. Munch.

‘What are you doing?’
‘I'm pupating, you larval lunkhead.’
‘Pupating! You're NOT going to metamorphose without me! Hey...! Hey, I'm talking to you...! HEY!’

And so the maggots ceased fighting in dead Ernest, and held a truce until they became flies. But that's another story.

That's hilarious. Bizarre, and hilarious. :D

You are strange, Johnny. Strange and awesome.

I like strange. Strange is my favourite thing. :)