UnCommon Bodies: A Collection of Oddities, Survivors, and Other Impossibilities (UnCommon Anthologies Book 1)
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UnCommon Bodies
A Collection of Oddities, Survivors, and Other Impossibilities
P.K. Tyler
Michael Harris Cohen
Keira Michelle Telford
Brent Meske
Phillip Harris
Philip Pope
Rebecca Poole
Samantha Warren
Vasil Tuchkov
Kim Wells
Laxmi Hariharan
Bob Williams
Deanne Charlton
Bey Deckard
Sessha Batto
Daniel Arthur Smith
Robb Grindstaff
SM Johnson
Jordanne Fuller
Sally Basmajian
Christopher Godsoe
Contents
Copyright
Story Summaries
We is We
About the Author
All the Devils
About the Author
Skin
About the Author
Mermaids
About the Author
Phantom Pain
About the Author
Unbreakable Heart
About the Author
Saltwater Assassin
About the Author
In Her Image
About the Author
Undead Cyborg Girl
About the Author
Don't Touch Me
About the Author
Three Poems
About the Author
Ruby
About the Author
UnTamed
About the Author
Made for This
About the Author
From the Inside
About the Author
Rudy and Deidre
About the Author
Daedalus' Daughter
About the Author
The Zealot
About the Author
The Well-Rounded Head
About the Author
Reserved
About the Author
Scars: First Session
About the Author
Also by P.K. Tyler
UNCOMMON BODIES is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people (or their body parts); place, or event is purely coincidental and not the intention of this collection.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the proper written permission of the appropriate copyright holder listed below, unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal and international copyright law. Permission must be obtained from the individual copyright owners identified herein.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
UnCommon Bodies copyright © 2015 by Fighting Monkey Press
Cover Art Design copyright © 2015 by Pavarti K. Tyler
Ebook Edition: TBD
ISBN: 0983876940
ISBN-13: 978-0983876946
"We is We" by Michael Harris Cohen copyright © 2015 by Michael Harris Cohen. Used by permission of the author.
"All the Devils" by Keira Michelle Telford copyright © 2015 by Keira Michelle Telford. Used by permission of the author.
"Skin" by Brent Meske copyright © 2015 by Brent Meske . Used by permission of the author.
"Mermaids" by Robert Pope copyright © 2015 by Robert Pope. Used by permission of the author.
"Phantom Pain" by Philip Harris copyright © 2015 by Philip Harris. Used by permission of the author.
"Unbreakable Heart" by Rebecca Poole copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Poole. Used by permission of the author.
"Saltwater Assassin" by Samantha Warren copyright © 2015 by Samantha Warren. Used by permission of the author.
"In Her Image" by Vasil Tuchkov copyright © 2015 by Vasil Tuchkov. Used by permission of the author.
"Undead Cyborg Girl" by Kim Wells copyright © 2015 by Kim Wells. Used by permission of the author.
"Don't Touch Me" by Bey Deckard copyright © 2015 by Bey Deckard. Used by permission of the author.
"Brenga's Body", "Eternity in a One-night Stand", and "It Runs in the Family" by Deanne Charlton copyright © 2015 by Deanne Charlton. Used by permission of the author.
"Ruby" by Bob Williams copyright © 2015 by Bob Williams. Used by permission of the author.
"UnTamed" by Laxmi Hariharan copyright © 2015 by Laxmi Hariharan. Used by permission of the author.
"Made for This" by Sessha Batto copyright © 2015 by Sessha Batto. Used by permission of the author.
"From the Inside" by Daniel Arthur Smith copyright © 2015 by Daniel Arthur Smith. Used by permission of the author.
"Rudy and Deidre" by Robb Grindstaff copyright © 2015 by Robb Grindstaff. Used by permission of the author.
"Daedalus' Daughter" by P.K. Tyler copyright © 2015 by P.K. Tyler. Used by permission of the author.
"The Zealot" by Christopher Godsoe copyright © 2015 by Christopher Godsoe . Used by permission of the author.
"The Well-Rounded Head" by Sally Basmajian copyright © 2015 by Sally Basmajian. Used by permission of the author.
"Reserved" By SM Johnson copyright © 2015 by SM Johnson. Used by permission of the author.
"Scars: First Session" by Jordanne Fuller copyright © 2015 by Jordanne Fuller. Used by permission of the author.
ISBN: 0-9838769-4-0
Story Summaries
We is We by Michael Harris Cohen: "We is We" follows a day in Mary and Millie's life, traveling sideshow freaks who've lost touch with the outside world.
All the Devils by Keira Michelle Telford: It's 1889, and women are being killed in the East End of London. They've become the targets of a deranged sexual killer, but why? Because they're prostitutes? Sapphists? Or something else entirely?
Skin by Brent Meske: After constant bullying in high school, Patricia vows to change her name and her entire being. When she gains the ability to mold and sculpt flesh, that vow very quickly becomes a terrifying reality.
Mermaids by Robert Pope: Recently graduated from college, with no work prospects, Aqua-boy—so called because of the webbing between his toes—watches and listens to a group of musicians at a bar/restaurant when he notices the woman playing a diminutive red accordion has six fingers.
Phantom Pain by Philip Harris: Phantom Pain follows amputee, Mariana Jacobs, as she visits a man who claims to have information she needs. But that information comes at a cost.
Unbreakable Heart by Rebecca Poole: A cyborg must escape her creators in order to survive.
Saltwater Assassin by Samantha Warren: Syren has spent her life as a sideshow freak, caged in a tank of saltwater and gawked at by hundreds of normal humans. She has a secret, though. At night, when the lights are finally off and the fair goers leave, she turns into a human–a mermaid assassin.
In Her Image by Vasil Tuchkov: An English PHD student arrives at the scenic but haunting countryside of Matera, Italy, looking for answers. His translator introduces him to a crippled local painter who claims to have depicted the impossible. As the three men converse near the ancient settlement's caverns, a mystery unravels.
Undead Cyborg Girl by Kim Wells: When she wakes up undead after receiving a cyborg assassin upgrade surgical procedure, Undead Girl's life is forever changed. Is it for the better? She has all t
he skills, but she needs a job, she needs some friends, and she needs to remember who she is. Part 1 of the Cyborg Story trilogy.
Don't Touch Me by Bey Deckard: Fighting is what Beau does best, because the very thing he dreads is exactly what lends him the extraordinary strength to defeat even the worst odds. And he does it all with the help of his angel, the woman he longs desperately to hold...but can't.
Three Poems by Deanne Charlton: Brenga's Body, Eternity in a One-night Stand, It Runs in the Family
Ruby by Bob Williams: It's nineteen thirty-six and the town of Ransom, Oklahoma is barely functioning after the "Dust Bowl" storm of the year before. Michael Wootten sits upon the porch of his dilapidated house and watches a caravan of trucks pull into town. Melvin Mitchell Presents: Ruby and her Amazing FreakShow Friends. Maybe this is just the thing to pump a little spirit into the near-dead town. But everything comes at a price, and Ms. Ruby always takes her cut.
UnTamed by Laxmi Hariharan: Wolf girl Leana Iyeroy, the first hybrid in her family, only ever wanted to be 100% human. An unexpected encounter with the Hugging Saint of Bombay forces Leana to face the wolf inside her. Will she finally make peace with herself?
Made for This by Sessha Batto: On the heels of unimaginable loss comes reinvention. Sometimes the gain is worth going through hell.
From the Inside by Daniel Arthur Smith: Strange, wondrous things happen when weeks of rain, fever visions, and anxiety, compel a young traveler to journey across Central Europe in pursuit of a uniquely talented artist.
Rudy and Deidre by Robb Grindstaff: A shorter than average man admires a taller than average woman from afar.
Daedalus' Daughter by P.K. Tyler: After her father's death, Isha begins sprouting feathers.
The Zealot by Christopher Godsoe: Six months ago, Tobin Maldovan was in charge of a manhunt for an enigmatic hacker named ATLAS. He lost his man near the Canadian border after a high speed chase, but not before ATLAS pulled strings to transfer the woman Tobin loves across the country, hampering any chance at reconciliation. With ATLAS having escaped his jurisdiction, Tobin had nothing left but to follow his wife to California, seeking reassignment at the West Coast cyberterrorism field office. His reputation precedes him, and he has drawn the case pursuing a man the media has taken to calling "The Zealot." As usual, Tobin pours himself into his work, but the work becomes personal in ways that he never would have imagined.
The Well-Rounded Head by Sally Basmajian: A woman is smitten with her husband's big, entirely round head. One day she notices that his temples appear to be slightly indented, so that his head is no longer a perfect sphere. This revolts her, and she moves into their guest room in order to avoid him. When he breaks in, she kills him, in a most bizarre way.
Reserved by SM Johnson: It's been five years since the accident that killed Pete Spencer's younger lover and left him grieving, bitter, and broken. He's tired of his lonely world, but the kind of young men he's attracted to dismiss him the moment their eyes land on his cane. Pete's learned to hide behind the safety of his reserve, but he's never met anyone like Rory.
Scars: First Session by Jordanne Fuller: It takes years to beat a strong woman into submission. It has to start somewhere. After a life of abuse, Abigail made the decision to cover her scars with tattoos. What she didn't expect was to confront her emotional scars in the process.
We is We
by Michael Harris Cohen
Summary: "We is We" follows a day in Mary and Millie's life, traveling sideshow freaks who've lost touch with the outside world.
We're moving again. Doesn't matter where. For us, in our trailer, one place is the same as the last and the last and the next and the next. One place is all we know. We'll move 'til we don't then Cyrus will sell tickets and you will come. I grasp this future easy.
You'll walk by and gawp us. You'll stare or maybe you won't be able to look that long. Some can't. Some turn away and don't look back. Others sneak a peek when they think we is not looking. But we is always looking.
We got eyes in the back of our head, Millie likes to say.
We see you all. You'll stop and walk by. You're alone or together with your lovey ones, holding hands, laughing, covering faces. We'll watch you drag your scared child down the dark hall of our trailer. You'll fashion ugly faces at our ugliness but we is used to it. Being ugly is what we is good at. That's what you'll have paid for. You might take pictures, ignoring the sign that tells you not to.
Millie gets mad about the pictures. Bang the glass and shake a finger. Rules is rules, Millie says. She says they're the law, like Mama's Bible Book or the rules Cyrus made, though I've been wondering about Cyrus' rules more and more. Doubting if they're right and true rules.
Millie doesn't like it when I question things.
We is we, she says. God stuck us together and we gotta stick together. 'Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.' No questions, and for sure no pictures.
The truth is I don't mind. I sometimes even smile for the pictures. Millie says that's vanity and against the rules too, but I'm not vain. How could I be? I guess I just like that some piece of we makes it out and into that world, the world Millie thinks we don't need and won't never know, though I think different. I got plans.
"You're lucky," Cyrus says. "The outside world is a dark and wicked place. Thorns fill people's heads. Their hearts are graveyards."
But our world is dark too. All day and everyday and our world's got nothing to fill it. Our world is black box with a hard chair and mirror behind. It's a hot light bulb that shines and sweats our ugly head.
Or it's this room behind the room, the one we're in now. The other half of our world: bed, toilet, and dresser. There's Mama's Bible Book on the dresser. There's the drawer I found the tiny knife in, under peanut shells and clothespins. Cyrus disremembered it and now it's mine.
Millie said, Thou shalt not steal, and I said, Finders keepers. But she kept bugging and hassling and niggling, for days and days, 'til I finally told her, I'm gonna give it back to Cyrus, and that's the truth. Though not yet and not how she thinks.
Cyrus tacked a poster on the wood that covers the window. It's a picture of a mountain that touches the clouds. It's the only mountain we've ever seen. Picture Mountain. Millie says it's the Lord's mount, Sinai, where God's rules were handed down, but I say it's something else. I stroll my finger up the mountain, feeling the tears in the paper, all the way to the clouds at the top. I say, "Things don't always mean what you think, Millie. Sometimes things mean something else." Like the man who spoke through the glass. Or the plans I got.
Millie doesn't know the plans. I reason those plans in a way Millie can't hear. I make them small and jumbled, like I'm stirring alphabet soup, and only I know what the letters spell.
Our trailer lurches to a stop and rolls me on Millie's face. I say sorry and stand up. It's maybe morning because we stopped moving. Though it doesn't matter when and it doesn't matter where. One place is the same as the last and the last and the next and the next, and we got our things to do.
We gobble the bread and cheese Cyrus brought last night. I brush our black hair so Millie looks ok. We pee and amble from the back room to the front, closing the painted door you can't see. We perch on our stool and wait.
Let's play a game, Millie says. Word Swap? Bible Lines? Tag?
Millie loves games but I tell her I'm not in the mood. I feel her pout on the back of my neck and cram my thoughts with a storm of letters so she won't know what I'm really chewing. I scramble the words "plan," "knife," and "Cyrus" in our head.
You don't come for a long time and then you do: a man and a woman.
You stop in front of us. The woman gasps. We see it though we can't hear it. We can't hear much through the glass. She gawps like a mother over her sick child, rainy eyes and raised brow, hands laced. I don't move a muscle except to blink, not until the man squeezes her shoulder and they move on to see the others. The ones we've never seen.
Millie want
s to gaze back and think about mama but I don't let her. I'm gazing forward, to the coming.
All day you and yours come and I don't move but to blink. I make my plans and we watch you stop and walk by, stop and walk by. I sit on the stool and let your eyes march over us. I let you sneak your peeks and snap your pictures. Cyrus taught me how to sit still so people see us–me in front, Millie in the mirror. So they could see we. That was rule number one.
"Don't fidget, Mary." Cyrus said. "Just move a mite so they know you're real. Mostly, be a painting."
Cyrus will come tonight like he always does. He'll bring us dinner and breakfast for tomorrow. He'll arise through the other door, the one we can't open. He'll say something like, "A face most find horrid can be beautiful if one looks long enough. If one really studies it, they'll unwrap the beauty."
He'll tug out our dinner from the paper bag. Millie likes French fries and I don't so we don't get those. We both like burgers so that's what Cyrus mostly buys and will likely bring tonight. Millie likes pickles and I don't, but I leave them on the burgers and ponder something else when I eat them for her–though, truth is, I taste vinegar and garlic no matter what I'm thinking about.