The Flamboyance of Flamingoes

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by Bernardo Villela

 

Flamingoes flew after me.

My friends and I came here for Pride. Now they’ve died.

I was scream-queening. A nun fleeing the convent hoisted me onto her back. Grown man becomes baby.

Splashing into the sea, archeologists followed firing at will but missed. The flying pink nightmares wouldn’t be deterred.

Sister carried a violin bow. She swung at them.

The flamingoes cut me with their toenails and kicked me off the nun’s back.

My blood reddening the water, I knew the flamboyance of flamingoes would become pinker and more aggressive. With my dying thoughts I prayed for their future victims.

Bernardo Villela

Bernardo Villela has short fiction included in periodicals such as Coffin Bell Journal, The Dark Corner Zine, Sparked Literary Magazine and forthcoming from Eerie River Press. He’s had stories included in anthologies such as From the Yonder II, Queer as Hell, and Disturbed. He has had poetry published by The Ekphrastic Review, Zoetic Press, and Bluepepper among others. Website:  www.miller-villela.com

Red Feathers

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by Gully Novaro

 

The animal rebellions caught us off guard. We were ready to fight each other, but never thought of them. We barely won the Great Ape Wars, our troops were decimated.

That’s when the flamingos attacked.

Few of us remain. Hiding in basements, only going out at night. Their squawks are scarier than any alarm, the birds show no mercy, and once you see the red of their feathers, you are done for.

Pink?

The birds get the colour from their diet, pink is the colour of shrimp. No, I haven’t seen a pink flamingo since they started feeding on us.

Gully Novaro

Gully Novaro is a non-binary writer from Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a love for all things out of this world. Their work aims to explore feelings of dread and solitude, in the genres of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. You’ll be able to read some of their work in upcoming anthologies Wyrms, Planetside and the Dystopian Showcase edited by Shacklebound Books. 

Twitter: @GullyNovaro