DASH - Friday Flash - 25 September 2009

This was a 200 word challenge at Critters Bar. The word prompt was dash


DASH
BY MATTHEW WARD


IM WORKING FOR AN EDITOR WHO HAS A DASH POLICY / HYPHENS ENDASHES EMDASHES ALL IRK HIM SO ALL OF US IN THIS BACKWOODS NEWSPAPER DONT USE THEM // THE SEASONS PASS BY / IM NOW A MAN IN MY SIXTIES AND ACCORDING TO CONVENTION READY TO RETIRE TO MY FRONT PORCH WHERE ILL READ THE SAME PAPER IVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST TWENTYFIVE YEARS UNTIL I DIE / AND LIKE CLOCKWORK I AM GIVEN A CLOCK ON MY LAST DAY AND EVERYONE IS THERE EXCEPT THE EDITOR WHO WITH MAGNIFYING GLASS IS SEARCHING FOR DASHES IN HIS PRINTOUT AS HE DOESNT BELIEVE THE SEARCH AND REPLACE IN WORD ACTUALLY WORKS / I THANK MY COLLEAGUES / SOME CRY // I STAY LATE THAT NIGHT WITH SILLY PARTY HAT ON / JUST BEFORE THE MORNING EDITION HAS GONE TO PRESS I CREEP INTO THE EDITORS OFFICE AND SEE HIM SLEEPING ON HIS DESK / MY LAST JOB IS TO GIVE THE PRINTERS THE GO AHEAD // NEXT DAY I SIT ON MY PORCH / THE PAPER OPEN / EVERY SPACE IN THE EDITION REPLACED WITH A DASH / ALL-MY-DOING / MY-SMILE

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