My weird fiction story It’s What’s Inside That Counts has been published in NonBinary Review Issue #40: Epiphany. It’s the story of a young girl who realizes for the first time that there’s a ticking clock inside of every living thing.

Content warning: terminal illness of a child

We gathered around the large table at the front of Mrs. Collins’ science lab, each of us outfitted in plastic smocks, rubber gloves, medical masks, and oversized goggles. We looked like the world’s youngest, most incompetent surgical team.

On the table was a dead pig in a stainless steel tray. I expected the pig to be pink like the ones in the movies, but it wasn’t. Its flesh was a sickly gray color, with a rubbery consistency that reminded me of a popped birthday balloon.

Mrs. Collins held up a scalpel. “Are we ready?” The other students nodded.