Jason Weiser

The words too were really more like interpretive dance because worms maybe can't really speak.

Honey guy, the stranger, did not see the worms trying to get his attention in the street.

and they worm sighed before relaxing.

Must not have been him.

Dodging is also tricky if you're a worm because you don't have eyes and you move so slowly across the dry ground that it's less dodging and more so fate if you're not squished by passersby.

As we know with humans, though, just because you were extremely lucky and had no control over the outcome doesn't mean you can't take ownership of your success.

High-fiving each other, really just slapping each other with their heads, to celebrate the deft dodge, the worms took off after Honey Guy.

If the stranger, the alleged honey guy for the worms, had been a minute later, he would have been run over.

Shin was driving tired.

Bringing a birthday present to his employer's friend was not in the job description of a stable hand.

But when the messenger came down with a bad case of being dead from a preventable illness that morning, well, it fell to him.

Compounding the fatigue was the knowledge that he would also have to do his job caring for the horses when he got back.

but he wouldn't make it back.

Not that night.

The stable boy pulled up to the stable next to the inn.

It was nice of his boss to let him take the tall, elegant gelding, their nicest horse, and he had given the young man money and permission to stop if he needed to.

So Shin handed off the reins to the stable hand and entered the inn.

Waking the dozing innkeeper, the man looked at the coins Shin set out before him.

My master gave me enough to stay in an inn, Shin informed the innkeeper.

Glancing at the coins, the innkeeper informed Shin that, no, he did not.