Malibu Barbie's Dream House

Sarah’s proudest possession, Malibu Barbie’s Camper Van was chugging along her blue shag rug.  “Where are we going?” Barbie asked Ken in a nervous voice.

“Why do you ask so many questions,” Ken looked at the dash.  “Dammit, you never put gas in this thing.”

“Ken, don’t yell; you are scaring me!”

“Shut up. I’m stopping at this gas station; I don’t want you to make a sound.”

The TV blared in the living room while Sarah played with her Barbies back in her bedroom.  She could hear adults shouting in the den, but it was muffled over the blub-blub-blub of her fish tank filter (and the Skipper scolding–“Oh, Gilligan!”).

Sarah cocked her head and looked at her goldfish.  She’d had them since the fair last summer, but one looked a little cloudy and was lounging near the top of the tank.

CRASH

Sarah cocked her head towards the den — something was definitely going wrong out there.  “. . . the money–”

Sarah heard a strangled sob.

Moving the camper van onto the bed under her bedspread did two things.  It muffled the sound and simulated darkness.   The camper moved toward the blue of her top sheet all smushed at the bottom of the bed.

“Barbie, get out!”

“I don’t want to!”

“Just walk —

“I can’t walk on the pier in these heels — they’ll get stuck–”  Barbie’s heels were getting stuck in the crocheted afghan.

“Then don’t walk — “

At that point, Ken pushed Barbie off the pier.

Sarah stared down at Barbie spread eagle in the waves of the aqua carpet.

“Serves you right,” said Ken.

Hildie S. Block is a night owl, a writer, a teacher, and a little obsessed with the weather. Her day doesn’t start until after one cup of coffee with a little NPR. She lives in Virginia with her family and her axolotl named Xipe! After publishing over 50 short stories she’s been told to stop counting. When not writing, she’s teaching, currently leading workshops at the Writer’s Center www.writer.org and on her own www.hildieblockworkshop.com

Recent Publications!
“Life Insurance” in BeZine’s Healing Issue — what is your life worth?
“Cash Cow” in CafeLit — a modern O Henry love story with a large dog and puppies.  https://www.cafelitmagazine.uk/2022/01/cash-cow.html
 
Currently Reading:  Parable of the Talents/Butler (yeah yeah, I know), Saga Vol 8/Vaughn and Staples (prepping for new SAGA at the end of Jan!!!!), Revenge/Ogawa (SO FREAKING GOOD!)
 
Recently Read:  Parable of the Sower (YES, AGAIN!), The Usual Santas/, A Merman I Should Be/Nisi Shawl, Children of Virtue and Vengeance/Adeyemi, “If the Fates Allow”/Rainbow Rowell, Clap Back/Nalo Hopkinson, I’m not hungry but I could eat/Gonzalez, Have I said too much/Delzel, Enders Game/Card,The Spy Who Came in From the Cold/Le Carre (reread)
 

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