TINY IMPERFECT FICTION 22

Jolene wanted to be an artist her whole life but thought to herself: what do I have to paint - I've never even traveled farther than two states away.

But here's what happened. Steve bragged to Jolene that he was going to catch the most anglerfish at the Lake Waller Waller fishing contest. Well, Jolene knew there was no such thing as anglerfish in Lake Waller Waller- they only lived in the deep ocean. But Steve kept on it and insisted that no, he was sure they were not in the deep sea, they were in Lake Waller Waller and he was gonna catch ‘em all. And Jolene couldn’t let him be so dumb, so she said, “Steve you better get your fish straight or you're gonna catch a whole lotta nothin'. An anglerfish has a flashlight on its head, big teeth, and it lives in the ocean!” 

And Steve was officially stopped in his tracks. “Whatddya mean has a flashlight on its head?”

“I mean it has an actual flashlight on its head.” Jolene re-explained.

“Your full of it." Steve was not having it.

So Jolene ejected a long piece of receipt paper out of the register printer and drew an anglerfish to show Steve what it looked like.

Steve took off his hat to scratch his head and had to admit he wasn't fishin' for that thing and he'd never seen one of them type fishes in Lake Waller Waller, so he was gonna have to win by fishing for something else.

Jolene agreed that was a good plan and wished Steve a bucket of luck.

As Steve was walking away, Jolene took a look at her anglerfish drawing and thought not too bad.

She went home after work and drew: 

• Her grandma's elbow skin

• Raccoon fingers

• A doorknob

• A spatula next to a dirty pan

• The bandage on her thigh

• The sock on the floor

Something felt alive inside her.