I pick up the gold necklace sprawled across the train’s floor like a golden snake. Finders Keepers, but I lost something precious once. I place the chain on an empty cushioned seat, making it easier for the original owner to find. A woman sinks into a seat nearby, her eyes glowing at the lonely necklace. She performs an impressive whirligig and opens her coat, her cashmere arm brushing against my acrylic sleeve. She crushes the snake. Does a little bum dance. Fingers creep under her bottom and the mouth of a clutch purse opens as it gobbles up the necklace.
Isabelle B.L’s work can be found in the Best Microfiction 2022 anthology, Visual Verse, Free Flash Fiction and elsewhere.