One day Big Balloon said to Little Balloon, “Shush. Listen. Hear that hiss?”

Inflated from the same tank, though years apart at different carnivals, each wore the same drawn-on smile beneath unblinking dotted eyes.

“Don’t let my deflation go to waste,” Big Balloon said, steadily leaking. “Inhale. Breathe me in.”

Over the years Bob Thurber’s work has received a long list of awards and prizes. His most recent book is a collection of brief stories titled “Nothing But Trouble.” His first novel, “Paperboy: A Dysfunctional Novel,” was recently rereleased. Visit BobThurber.net.