Black Petals Issue #97, Autumn, 2021

Brother's Keeper
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A World of Sensations-Fiction by Michael Dority
Goddess Deva-Fiction by David Starobin
Hunting Ground-Fiction by N. G. Leonetti
Love Letters-Fiction by S. J. Townend
No Content Available-Fiction by Richard Brown
Phantom Smell-Fiction by Daniel G. Snethen
Predatory Peepers-Fiction by Cindy Rosmus
The Visit-Fiction by B. E. Nugent
The Working Man-Fiction by Christopher Hivner
The Extermination-Fiction By Dominique K. Pierce
Win-A-Burger-Fiction by Glenn Dungan
Counting Time-Flash Fiction by Ramon F. Irizarri
Terry and the Techo-Frog-Flash Fiction by Hillary Lyon
The Epistolean-Flash Fiction by Harris Coverly
Labelled Rocks-Flash Fiction by Holden Zuras
Along Side of the Road-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Beneath the Weeping Willow-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Half-Life-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Liquid Darkness-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Lost-Poem by Carl E. Reed
Succubus Seductress-Poem by Carl E. Reed
The Crime of Frankenstein-Poem by Carl E. Reed
Brother's Keeper-Poem by Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar
Razor Beak-Poem by Jessica Heron
The Fall of Vampire Hunters-Poem by Matthew Wilson

Brother’s Keeper

 

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

 

As he bashed the candlestick

into his brother’s head

over and over in a rage,

Jason felt the skull cave in.

 

Roaring his battle cry,

he tasted the metallic spray of blood

on his lips.

 

Panting, Jason surveyed the carnage.

 

Ethan’s crushed head

leaked dark liquid

and gray matter onto the carpet

like a split cantaloupe.

 

He knew then

that Ethan was dead,

that his sharp tongue was stilled,

never to undermine

or belittle him again.

 

Now what?

 

Remembering his basement freezer,

Jason smiled. Ethan would take up residence

with frozen peas and venison,

an icy, quiet grave.

 

Jason would become

his brother’s keeper.

 

 

 

Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar is a writer and English professor living in small-town Pennsylvania. While most of her published writing is educational, her personal essays, short stories, and flash fiction have appeared or are forthcoming in Adelaide Literary Magazine, The Dillydoun Review, Little Old Lady Comedy, The Dribble Drabble Review, Friday Flash Fiction, 666: Dark Drabbles, and Merlyn’s Pen.

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