Pink Snowbunnies in Hell: A Flash Fiction Anthology Read Online Free PDF Page A

rims of his glasses. His brown eyes locked with her green.
    “Sit down,” Pierce said.
    Jackie jumped. Hard wood bit into the backs of her thighs. She folded her hands over her notebook as she tried to will away the flush that tightened her cheeks.
    “That’s better.  Glad to have you on staff.” An unexpected smile rewrote his somber expression.
    “Thank you, sir.”
    “I have an assignment for you.”
    Jackie fumbled for her pen. She hadn’t expected an assignment on her first day. Her notepad was a confidence prop.
    “I do hope that your written vocabulary proves more copious.”
    The heat spread up her forehead. She was sure that her face matched the color of her hair.
    “I don’t bite, newbie,” Pierce said. “I saw your work in the university paper. It’s good. Relax.”
    “Yes, sir.” She looked down and noticed her white-knuckled grip on her pen. “Sorry, Mr. Pierce, it’s just so amazing to be here.”
    Pierce stopped Jackie before she blathered inanely. “I need you to complete a two-hundred-word human-interest story by Friday.”
    Her pen paused mid-stroke as the assignment registered. She was supposed to be a science writer. Realizing he was serious, Jackie dutifully noted “human interest” on her paper, resigning herself to her role as newbie “Jill-of-all-trades.”
    “Thank you,” Pierce said. “That will be all.” He turned back to his computer.
    Jackie left his office puzzled, but determined. Having never written a human-interest story, she mulled over the assignment as she headed for her cubicle. When she passed the break room for the second time, she realized she was lost.
    This was not good. She already felt out of place. Overdressed in a black suit and heels, her feet were already beginning to hurt. She would not ask for directions to her own cube. She glanced around, surreptitiously looking for a landmark. The block letters of the EXIT sign beckoned.
    Outside, exhaust-laden air sapped her remaining energy. She squinted against the summer sun and headed for the green sign advertising a familiar sandwich shop.
    Lunch afforded opportunity for a few Google searches via her iPhone. Mr. Pierce would get his story. But first, Jackie needed to take a little trip.
    Four days later, with the pungent smell of ink and the background hum of the newsroom to welcome her, Jackie knocked on the familiar door.
    “Come in,” Pierce said.
    Jackie turned the cool handle and strode over to sit across the desk from him.
    “Have a—” Pierce looked up from his monitor. “Ah, Jackie, what can I do for you?”
    “I have your story, sir.”
    “Story?” Mr. Pierce looked blank for a moment and then he smiled. In fact, the smile could almost have been a grin. “Oh, yes, the story. How did that go for you?”
    Jackie pasted a bland expression on her face. “I found a very fascinating topic.”
    Pierce didn’t quite raise an eyebrow.
    Jackie placed the neatly typed story in front of Pierce. “Two hundred fifty-five words.”
    Pink Snowbunnies Are the New Pink Ribbon
    The Pink Snowbunnies are breast cancer survivors “experienced enough to really know how to live,” according to Judy Tidwell. The five women recline on the deck, dressed in hot-pink swimsuits and sarongs. They are taking a breather during their training to compete in the Barefoot Nationals on August tenth at Barefoot Ski Ranch in Waco, Texas. “We even get to wear our bunny ears during the slalom,” said Betty Copeland.
    The women met during cancer treatment and bonded over their love of snow skiing. “It gave us something to focus on to get through the chemo,” said Jo Meriweather. “We planned a snow-skiing trip for when we were well enough. When we bought matching hot-pink snowsuits, the pink snowbunnies were born.” The women are the epitome of health as they enjoy the shared story. Diane Stubeck points out that, of course, they had to accessorize with “bunny ears.”
    “Trying barefoot skiing was a harebrained idea;