Member-only story
Short Fiction
The Grandmother Pushed the Man Off the Cliff
The hog-tied man tried to speak, but the gag stopped him
“You don’t become unstoppable by following the crowd, you get there by doing something better than anyone else can do it, and proving every day why you are the best at what you can do.”–Tim S. Grover
The man’s eyes widened in fear; he tried to speak, but only a whimper escaped his gag. Grandmother thought about how an ordinary cup of coffee led her to this moment as she pushed him over.
She had stopped to pick up a pumpkin spice latte and stood behind this very man and a companion. Before he spoke to his confidante, he looked back over his shoulder. There was an older gray-haired woman behind him in line. Older people are invisible, so he feels safe continuing his lowered voice conversation. 009’s hearing was still excellent. She wore an earring audio booster out of habit, despite having retired a while ago.
“The next shipment of merchandise is at the warehouse; the buyer’s reps will arrive tomorrow. Everything is in place for a successful transaction,” he said. “The police are on a wild goose chase across town; they will find and rescue one girl. That will keep them busy while nine other girls sell and are smuggled out of the country.” He spoke low…
