Black Petals Issue #98 Winter, 2022

Hillary Lyon: Party-Time Trio

Home
Editor's Page
Artists' Page
BP Guidelines
Mars-News, Views and Commentary
Worm Food-Fiction by Michael Dority
Bells in the Woods-Fiction by Richard Brown
The Smiling Dead-Fiction by Guido Eekhaut
Beneath-Fiction by Samantha Brooke
The Reality Engine-Fiction by M.T. Johnson
Bug-Fiction by David Starobin
The Family Upstairs-Fiction by Ally Schwam
Hoola-Fiction by Lamont A. Turner
The Barber Shop-Fiction by Roy Dorman
On the Corner of 15th and Jackson-Fiction by Kat Vatne
Prisoners-Fiction by Paul Lee
Twinkles-Flash Fiction by Cindy Rosmus
Party-Time Trio-Flash Fiction by Hillary Lyon
Shadowed Soul-Flash Fiction by Jess Boaden
5G Generation-Poem by Joseph Danoski
Creature of Habit-Poem by Joseph Danoski
Joe Schmoe & Jayne Doe-Poem by Joseph Danoski
The World-Poem by S. Wiseman-Rose
Exquisite Corpse-Villanelle-Poem by S. Wiseman-Rose
Edwardian-Poem by S. Wiseman-Rose
Bloody Fingers-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Pathway Down-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Another Red Nightmare-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
The Avenue of Pines (Re-visited)-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Lover's Meadow-Poem by Brielle Amick
Scarecrow in Female-Poem by Meg Smith
Regards to Buzzards-Poem by Meg Smith
Failed Conjuring-Poem by Meg Smith
Missing Among Wildflowers-Poem by Meg Smith
Lords of Extinction-Poem by Meg Smith

98_bp_party_timetrio_bholtzman.jpg
Art by Bernice Holtzman © 2022

The Neck-Tie Party

 

Arizona Territory, 1879

 

Hillary Lyon

 

 

The rowdy crowd put the stranger on his horse and rode him out to the ancient oak tree outside the cemetery walls. Threw a hemp neck-tie around his throat, flung the other end over a sturdy branch, slapped his horse on its haunch. All because the sheriff caught him suckin’ blood from a saloon girl. He dangled and danced in the air until everyone got bored and went home, all righteous and satisfied justice was served. Damn these small town vigilantes, the stranger groused, they always leave the party too soon, and I have to cut my own self down.

 

 

The Hunting Party

 

Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland, 1979

 

Hillary Lyon

 

 

“We no longer hunt foxes, or other small game,” Basil said wistfully, gazing into the woodlands before him. “My niece, Beatrice, pointed out how needlessly cruel and unsportsmanlike it was.” He loaded shells into the hunting rifle draped over his arm.

“Wonderful!” Cody enjoined. He smoothed his feathered hair as if patting himself on the back. Being Beatrice’s American boyfriend, he’d convinced her to convince her wealthy uncle to drop this archaic pastime.

Basil pulled out his pocket watch. “I’ll give you a fifteen minute head start, old boy.” Through his walrus mustache, he grinned at Cody. “You’d better run.”

 

The After-Party

 

Dallas, Texas, 2020

 

Hillary Lyon

 

The maroon 1980 Thunderbird slid into the empty space along the curb. The hand on the wheel was nothing but bone and dried sinew, with a covering of flesh, ragged and flaking like the car’s leather upholstery.

The passenger door popped open. The driver leaned over, lit cigarette clenched between gray teeth. “C’mon, Lisa, we gotta get this party started!” he rasped. A gold medallion glinted on the serpentine chain laying against his sternum. A disco anthem boomed from the car stereo.

The rusted cemetery gates creaked open. Lisa crawled into the car, jaw missing, but gibbering with joy, nonetheless.


With an MA in English Literature, Hillary Lyon founded and for 20 years served as senior editor for the independent poetry publisher, Subsynchronous Press. Along with her poetry, her crime, horror, and sci-fi stories have appeared in numerous print and online publications, as well as in multiple anthologies. She is also an illustrator for horror/sci-fi, and pulp fiction sites. She’s lived in France, Brazil, Canada, and several states in the U.S.; she currently resides in southern Arizona.



Site Maintained by Fossil Publications