Public Nuisance by Chris McGrane

The Human Air-Freshener, The Giant Clam and I busked.

“I’m Captain Annoying.” I told the crowd.  “Support the superhero superannuation fund.”

They refused.

Worried my Pester-Powers™ were fading, I asked Freshener. “Am I still annoying?”

I wanted reassurance, so I asked 389 times.

Then he punched me.

My profile said; “He’s so annoying that when he time travelled to 1928, he received

death threats… from Gandhi.”

As always, no one donated anything.

“I’ll never retire.” Freshener sobbed.

Clam opened—revealing pearls worth millions

The result of weeks of constant irritation from me.

Captain Annoying saves the day, again.

 

 

About the Author

Chris McGrane is a Canberra author. His works have appeared in a number of publications, including the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild's anthologies, Next and A Hand of Knaves. In 2020, he sold a short story, “Erasure”, to Daily Science Fiction. In 2026, his short story "Prodigal" will appear in the Dark Matter Press anthology Little Red Flags. His short story "Dead Man Zone" will be published by Black Hare Press as part of its Short Reads series.