Armistice

by Edward Musto

About the Author: Edward Musto is an off-off-Broadway playwright. He authored the “Evening of Murder” series, the first of which, AN EVENING OF MURDER AND THE LIKE, received an Edgar Allen Poe Award nomination as Best Play from the Mystery Writers of America. Other such “Evenings” include CAMERA-READY ART, MASS. MURDER and EVILUTION. His short stories have appeared in SHOTS, AUDIENCE, COFFEE CRAMP, MYSTERICAL-E, FUTURES and HARDBOILED.

Excerpt

“Certain conformities must be encouraged, despite the casualness of the times we’re living in,” the mother says. “We adhere to them, the mark of a civilized society.”

And the son says yes.

“Help yourself to coffee—it’s on the sideboard,” the mother says. “The toast is ready. I’ve put out some jam.”

And the son says yes.

And all is well until the son says he thinks he’ll just have coffee this morning, and the mother notices he has not even started on the toast she assumed he’d hungrily devour. Disappointment engulfs her and it shows in her face. “Shall I not make you your eggs?” It is practically a whine.

She scrutinizes the young man sitting across the table from her. He is not the boy she raised: his appearance is unkempt, his clothes dirty, his skin pallid, his eyes slightly fearful, as if any moment they might open to a hostile, deranged world.

“If that’s all right.”

“Of course it is!”

“Thanks, anyway, though.”

“Not at all. How’s the coffee?”

“Fine.”

“It’s not too strong, is it?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“The toast?”

“It’s good.”

“Not too dark?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Really?”

“Everything’s perfect.”

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