tomeubanks.com

        It's been awhile since I've written a "Short Short," which is a story under 150 words as defined by The American Writer.  I took a much longer short story and modified it to this short-short version.  I meant to post this for Wednesday's post but work kept me away from a computer all day.  So here it is:


                                Sideshow
                        

        Lights. Cameras. Reporters. My courtroom’s a sideshow. A Killer and a Witness–brothers--stand before me. The room’s hushed. Killer grins back at me, knowing I can’t pass the death penalty, can’t even incarcerate him, without punishing his brother, too.

        I turn my attention to the Witness. "I can’t punish you for something your brother did. Do you still deny knowing your brother had a weapon and intended to kill Mr. Rasmussen?"

        Joined from head to hip to his Siamese twin, Killer Brother twists his torso and spears Witness Brother with a deadly gaze. Witness closes his eyes against Killer’s familial influence. Then, bravely, Witness sacrifices himself.

        "I knew my brother was going to kill the owner of the circus," Witness lies, allowing me to punish the Killer.