Tag Archives: The Daily Grind

The Daily Grind, Part II

This is another story set in my dystopian world that has banned abortion and contraceptives. I got the idea from my good friend and co-blogger at Angry Black Lady Chronicles, Ian Boudreau, who wondered what it would be like to be someone who enforces the laws in such a world, so this story is dedicated to him.  

Once again, I have broken it into two posts because I’m wordy as fuck. This is part two. Read part one here

“Ralph, honey, dinner’s ready.”  Sarah poked her head into Ralph’s home office and flashed him a nervous smile.  “Come eat while it’s hot.”

“I’ll be there in a minute, Sar.”  Ralph smiled fondly at his wife.  “I’m just finishing up the last of my paperwork.”  Sarah slipped out of the room and quietly shut the door.  Ralph returned to the papers in front of him and frowned.  He scribbled his signature three times in succession before stuffing the papers into his briefcase and snapping it shut.  He pushed his briefcase to the very edge of his desk and glared at it in distaste.  He closed his eyes for a minute before going into the dining room.

“Pass the salt, please.”  Ralph handed the shaker to Sarah so she could pass it to Leah, third of their five children.  The family ate in relative silence for several minutes, focusing on the stew and potatoes.  Sarah was watching the others eat more than she was eating herself, and when she saw Junior reach the end of his bowl, she poured half of her stew into his empty bowl.

“Ma, I’m fine,” Junior said automatically, though he began eating his extra serving even before Sarah was done pouring.  He was the starting quarterback for the Jericho Horns, and he never felt like he had enough to eat.  He didn’t complain about it, of course, because he knew that his parents did the best they could.  Still, there wasn’t a night in which he didn’t go to bed with a twinge in his gut.

“You’re a growing boy,” Sarah said firmly, her cornflower blue eyes flashing indignantly.  “You need it more than I do.”  She scraped out the last bit of beef from her bowl into Junior’s and placed the last piece of bread onto his plate as well.  The other four children studiously ate the food on their own plates and didn’t seem to notice the interplay between mother and oldest brother.
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The Daily Grind, Part I

This is another story set in my dystopian world that has banned abortion and contraceptives. I got the idea from my good friend and co-blogger at Angry Black Lady Chronicles, Ian Boudreau, who wondered what it would be like to be someone who enforces the laws in such a world, so this story is dedicated to him.  

Once again, I have broken it into two posts because I’m wordy as fuck. This is part one.  

“We have two newbies.  Number two is one hot piece of ass.”  Ralph ignored Bill Benson, that fat fuck, who was leering over him as he dropped the paperwork on Ralph’s desk.  “Seriously, man.  She’s got tits out to here.”  Bill held his hand a foot away from his chest and continued to snigger to himself.  “The only problem is, she knows she’s hot shit.  I hate girls like that.”  Ralph knew he shouldn’t rise to the bait, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Shut up, Benson.  I’m sick of your crap.  If you have nothing else for me, get out of my office.”

“Chill, Stiller.  What the fuck is wrong with you?  What guy doesn’t like fresh pussy?  If you weren’t married, I’d swear you were a limp-wrister.”  As Bill talked, his eyes issued a challenge to Ralph.

“Don’t make me have to write you up, Benson.  It’ll be your second write-up this month, and you know what that means.”  Ralph stared hard at Bill, showing the latter who was alpha.  After several seconds of silence, Bill stomped out of Ralph’s office, allowing Ralph to slump in his chair.  He sighed, then picked up the papers Bill had dropped off and read them thoroughly before doing his rounds.  Per usual, he started with the new inmates.  The first was Deborah Strauss, thirty-nine years old.  A mother of five, her husband had just died in the Iran war.  Ralph’s shoulders slumped; he hated these cases most of all.

“Get me the fuck out of here.”  Deborah wasted no time laying into Ralph as soon as he stepped into her cell.  “This is some serious bullshit, and you know it.”  Ralph swallowed hard at Deborah’s blackened eyes because he knew that meant she had not gone quietly with the Brothers who had arrested her.  It was against the law to hit a pregnant woman – unless it was a three-striker and she was resisting arrest.  Ralph put aside his personal repugnance and began his spiel.

“Good morning, Deborah.  I am Ralph Still—.”

“That’s Mrs. Strauss to you, asshole.  And I don’t give a good goddamn who you are.”  Deborah’s eyes were burning with hatred, and Ralph was thankful she was tied down.
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