"Yeah," Darius said into the phone as Jessica, the receptionist, made no attempt to disguise her eavesdropping. "I just finished the work-trade shift and will take a class with Hannah. After, I'll ... [+]
Jeanna Cammarano is a neurodivergent writer and video game content designer with a love of all things speculative. She is currently an editor for Flash Fiction Online and writes stories from her cozy home in Nova Scotia. You can find her at https://bsky.app/profile/wordrat.bsky.social. "Intrusive Minds" is in Short Circuit #16, Short Édition's quarterly review.
We are nine when I discover I am the evil twin. We've just blown out the candles on our birthday cake. Our dad sets down the kitchen knife and heads around the corner to help mom grab bowls and ice-cream. That's when it pops into my mind. The image of my hand reaching for the blade. I wonder how sharp it is. Would it cut more than just cake? Could it cut through flesh? Bone?
The impulse to reach out and take it is overwhelming. But it's not me who grabs the knife. My brother looks at me, eyes glazed over, and wraps his fingers around the handle. He turns it over, sets the silver blade in