'Huckleberry' by Hillary Leftwich

You are walking through a forest. It is dusk and you see a field full of wildflowers in the distance. You want to smell the flowers but a river is blocking your way. The river is not swollen so you decide to cross. When your feet enter the water you realize the water is hot. You look down and see the river is hot chocolate. Marshmallows bob and mounds of whipped cream become stuck on the sides of your legs. You look up and see a man standing on the other side of the river. He is beckoning to you. He’s wearing a black cowboy hat, a black suit, and has a dark swirly mustache. You realize it is Val Kilmer from the movie Tombstone. You hear him shouting something, but the river drowns his words. You walk faster and as you do you reach down to scoop up the marshmallows and eat them. Your mouth is full when you reach Val Kilmer. He looks at you and says, I’m your Huckleberry. He starts coughing up blood into his hands. He looks down at the blood and then looks at you. You take a closer at him and realize he’s not Val Kilmer at all but your friend who died years ago. You open your mouth to say what you never had the chance to say but all that comes out is a tiny white cloud.

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First published in Flash, Issue 18.