By Amy Grech
Tyler: I’ve got the Midnight Munchies.
Josh: So eat something . . .
Tyler: I already ate all the perishables.
Josh: Perishables??
Tyler: Milk, cold cuts, cheese, fruit, and vegetables.
Josh: You must be hangry.
Tyler: You have no idea.
I had to choke down uncooked baked beans.
Josh: Nasty!
Tyler: Jasmine’s gone.
Josh: Where did she go?
Tyler: She fell on her way down to the basement.
Josh: Is she OK?
Tyler: The heel of her shoe got caught when she ran downstairs.
When Jasmine tumbled to the bottom, she broke her neck.
Josh: Tough break. Why the rush?
Tyler: We were scrambling to take cover before the incident.
Josh: What incident?
Tyler: You know — the Cubans dropped an atomic bomb 72 hours ago.
Josh: Right.
3 minutes later:
Josh: Is there anything you can do for her?
Tyler: Jasmine’s dead.
Josh: Yikes!
Tyler: She’s been laid to rest.
Josh: May she rest in pieces.
Tyler: Not cool, bro.
Josh: My bad.
Tyler: We were together for 2 years.
Almost an eternity. . .
Josh: No doubt. Where??
Tyler: The walk-in freezer is her final resting place.
She’ll keep nicely.
Josh: Why is there a walk-in freezer in the basement?
Tyler: My Dad is a Chef.
Josh: That makes sense. The power is out.
Tyler: There’s a propane-powered backup generator.
Josh: Yeah. I could sure use one of those right about now.
Josh: Yeah. I could sure use one of those right about now.
I’m in the basement.
Tyler: Good. Where are your parents?
Josh: They’re out of town for the weekend.
Tyler: Where did they go?
Josh: California.
Tyler: Sorry, bro. They probably got incinerated in the blast.
Josh: I know. Where are yours?
Tyler: They didn’t make it down in time.
They got caught in the moment.
Josh: That’s rough.
Tyler: Ironic. My Dad the Chef burned to a crisp.
My Mom, too.
Momentary silence.
Josh: Do you have everything you need?
Tyler: I think so: Several gallon jugs of water.
Josh: Check.
Tyler: A kerosene lantern from the mall.
What have you got to eat?
Josh: Turkey Jerky and some Kind Bars.
Tyler: What kind are they?
Josh: Does it matter?
Tyler: I guess not. Do you have light?
Josh: I’ve got a bunch of flashlights.
Tyler: I have a set of my Dad’s knives.
Josh: What for?
Tyler: There’s no telling what survived.
Do you know what radiation may have done
to the neighborhood dogs and cats?
Josh: I have no idea.
Tyler: The ones that survived are probably rabid
and famished. I’ll use the knives to defend myself.
Josh: Did you block the windows?
Tyler: I covered them with plywood.
Josh: Smart.
Tyler: I’m resourceful. My Dad was a survivalist.
Josh: Respect.
5 minutes later:
Tyler: I’ve been consumed by Jasmine’s passion.
Josh: All the feels.
Tyler: Jasmine has been consumed by my hunger.
Josh: OMG!
Tyler: She wanted it that way.
Josh: Classy.
Tyler licks his lips.
Tyler: It brings us together, body and soul...
Josh: What??
Tyler: With a heavy heart, I slice pale pink meat
into translucent strips with a chef’s knife.
Josh: Seriously?
Tyler: My tears run down Jasmine’s cheeks
as I gently place them down on a dish of delicate,
bone China with pale, pink roses.
Josh: Bro, no words.
Tyler: I chew every morsel slowly, relishing the poignant
flavor of my last meal, fresh off the bone.
Josh: Who says it’s your last meal?
Tyler: I’m tapped out—there’s nothing left.
Tyler wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
Josh: Whoa! That’s dark.
Tyler: Just being honest.
Jasmine’s thighs are a bounty of the sweetest meat
I’ve ever tasted.
Josh: I can’t believe you ate Jasmine!
Tyler: Desperate times . . . I’m not finished with her, yet.
Josh: Bro?!
Tyler: I’ve already devoured the succulent meat on her
rump, arms, breasts, lower legs, toes, and fingers.
Now I have a newfound respect for finger food.
Josh: Did you put a ring on it?
Tyler: I did. Wanted to tell you, before all
this happened.
I kept the diamond engagement ring as a memento.
Josh: Word.
Tyler: A girlfriend is a terrible thing to waste.
Josh: Just deserts.
10 minutes later:
Josh: I miss the comforts of home.
Tyler: You’re such a Mama’s Boy.
Josh: Bro, that’s cold.
Tyler: Just Joshing.
Tyler: [smile emoji]
Josh: [eye roll emoji]
Tyler: I miss the sun.
Josh: [sunglasses emoji]
Tyler: I miss Netflix.
Josh: [popcorn emoji]
Josh: I miss my parents.
Tyler: Ditto.
Josh: I can hear some critters outside, near the basement.
Tyler: Uh-oh.
Josh: They’re yowling and growling. It sounds bad.
Tyler: Did you cover the windows?
Josh: Just with duct tape—I hope it keeps them outside.
Tyler: [fingers crossed emoji]
5 minutes later:
Tyler: Something just chewed through the plywood!
It’s in the basement!
Josh: That’s not good, bro.
Is it a cat or a dog??
Tyler: Hard to tell. It’s yowling and it’s headed straight for me!
Tyler snaps a picture with his smartphone.
He takes a quick look.
Tyler: No, that’s my cat, Smoky.
Josh: How can you be sure?
He sends Josh a picture of his cat.
Tyler: You can see the name tag on his red collar.
Josh: Just barely.
Tyler: Smokey doesn’t look right.
Josh: Poor little guy. His fur is caked with blood.
Tyler: And he’s drooling.
Josh: He looks very hungry . . .
Smoky hisses loudly.
Tyler is trembling.
Josh: Grab a knife!
Tyler: Already on it.
Tyler lunges for a chef’s knife on the butcher block.
It slips from his fingers before he can get a handle on it
and clatters on the cold concrete. Smoky pounces on Tyler,
claws out, teeth bared, frothing at the mouth.
Tyler: I dropped the knife. I—
Josh: Tyler??
Amy Grech has sold over 100 stories to various anthologies and magazines including: 10 by 10 Flash Fiction Stories, Apex Magazine, Even in the Grave, Gamut Magazine, Microverses, Punk Noir Magazine, Roi Fainéant Press, Tales from the Canyons of the Damned, Yellow Mama, and many others. Alien Buddha Press published her poetry chapbook, A Shadow of Your Former Self.
She is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association who lives in Forest Hills, Queens. You can connect with her on Bluesky: @amygrech.bsky.social, Medium: https://crimsonscreams.medium.com, X: https://x.com/amy_grech, or visit her website: https://www.crimsonscreams.com.
