When O’Malley died nobody said bad things, nobody said good things, nobody spoke his name at his funeral. There was no eulogy, no sermon, no prayer. Just a box with O’Malley in it. Nobody uttered a sound outside of breathing, which is all any of us had come to prove.

Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Regarded as a master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in Esquire and other magazines, been anthologized 60 times, received a long list of awards, and been utilized in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.