Category: Drama

SMALL TREASURES

~ B.G. Smith

by B.G. Smith

He tucked his baby tooth under a tattered, sweat-stained pillow. His finger traced a hole in his pajamas, touching his knee as he dreamed of treasure.

Candy, toys, and maybe the diamond ring Dad was saving for before cancer took him.

His mother scrolled through job listings on the couch, rubbing her temples. Her boss called it “insubordination” after she refused to go to dinner.

Rent was due tomorrow.

She cracked open the bedroom door, the nightlight casting shadows across his peaceful sleep.

She kissed him goodnight and placed her last five-dollar bill under his tattered, sweat-stained pillow.

And smiled.

ACES HIGH

~ B.G. Smith

by B. G. Smith

I removed my suitcase and backpack from the trunk and was greeted by the agent.

“Full tank?” the young man asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re going to receive a survey. If you could mention my buddy, Nate, I’d really appreciate it.”

My puzzled look was met with an explanation. “Nate lost his mother recently.”

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Ace.”

“I got you, Ace.” I said.

He smiled.

While waiting for the shuttle, I typed: Nate and Ace were extremely friendly…

I gave Ace a thumbs up across the lot.

He put his hands together in a prayer of thanks.

And smiled.

THE LAST VISIT

~ B.G. Smith

by B. G. Smith

The sounds in the veterinarian’s office come alive. A Schnauzer puppy whimpers in the lap of a young woman. A European shorthair hisses from a soft-sided carrier. I’ve been in a lot of pain lately—but my human family needs me—so I put on a brave face and wag my tail one last time. The entire pack is here with me today. The little one, Jenny, gives me a long hug, and I feel tiny tears fall on the back of my neck. The needle prick burns my leg momentarily before I fall asleep, staring into Jenny’s loving eyes.

JESSICA’S BIRTHDAY

~ B.G. Smith

by B.G. Smith

Jessica was born 21 years ago and is legally old enough to buy an adult beverage today. She graduated from high school, earned a scholarship, and is in her junior year of college. She’s already experienced her first kiss, her first love, and her first heartbreak. Raised by a loving mother and a man who treated her as his own, Jessica is thankful for the blessings in life. Still, her birthday celebration won’t be one of a typical 21-year-old; but a solemn remembrance of the father she never met, a firefighter who perished on the darkest day in American history.

FDNY Foundation

NYC Police Foundation

Tunnels to Towers

The Never Forget Fund

Tuesday’s Children

THE INFERNO

~ B.G. Smith

by B.G. Smith

The fire consumes wood like a hungry bear awakened from hibernation. The intensity of the heat causes me to recoil from its scorching anger. A crackle and pop break the evening silence; the ravenous inferno finds sustenance in its path. Room to room, floor to floor—nothing—and no one—is safe from its destruction. My wife, kneeling in the front yard of the home where we reared our children, watches history reduced to a pile of rubble and ash. I wipe tears from her cheeks and wrap her in my embrace, trying to remember when the kids visited last.

DRAMA IN ONE ACT

~ B.G. Smith

by John Sheirer

A 1950s pickup approached four ornate dining chairs alongside a rural road. Red velvet cushions accented elaborately carved legs. But the backs were too skinny, the seats too wide. The wood was stained slightly too dark, dulling the red fabric. A drizzle began as the chairs loitered along the road instead of gracing the fine dining room they seemed meant to inhabit. A block-letter sign leaned against the chairs: “FREE” in foot-high red marker. How long had they waited? Tomorrow morning when the sun rises, they would begin to smell and rot. The truck’s brake lights flickered, then sped away.