Copper Rose  perforates the edges of the page while writing unusual stories from the heart of Wisconsin. Her story “Buried in a Book” first appeared in FlashPoint: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Flash Fiction Anthology 2018. Her work has appeared in Night Garden Journal, Spillwords, Soft Cartel, Who Writes Short Shorts and other online webzines. Her story, “Blizzard” was published in Vortex: The Inner Circle Writer’s Group Literary Anthology 2018.  She also understands there really is something about pie.

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Stone Carver

“What name are you carving on that headstone?”

“Eddie Diesel.”

“Eddie Diesel’s not dead.”

River didn’t look up from his work. His eyes traced the line of the diamond tip as tiny bits of rock spit right and left as he followed the curve of what would become the D in Eddie’s last name.

“Did you hear me? I said Eddie Diesel’s not dead. You need to be workin’ on Edna Bishop’s tombstone. They made the first installment on her stone yesterday and they’ll make the final payment soon as it’s done.”

River’s eyes cast to the side where Gloria was sitting at her desk. His eyes shifted back to the straight edge of the D. His hand never paused.

“Did you hear what I just said?” Gloria’s voice was louder, more commanding.

“A-yuh. Be just a minute.”

“You better do as I say. We need that money.”

Just then the phone rang.

“Oh really,” River heard Gloria say. She set the phone down. “Hey River, you’re never going to believe this. The funeral home called. Eddie Diesel died.”

River finished up Eddie’s headstone. He moved his tools to a new stone he suddenly felt compelled to work on. He picked up his diamond-tipped engraver and began carving an elaborate G, followed by an L, O, R, I…

“Ah. There you go,” Old River smiled as he finished up the last letter.