Billy, The Human Flag

(This story comes to us from Jeremy Balli in Modesto, CA)

Billy used to weigh 600 lbs. and his mom told him "Baby, you're morbidly obese.” to which he replied, "What's so morbid about it?"

A cheeky remark like that cost him big time, no pun intended. His mom, normally a nice woman, locked him in the garage with a broken Buick.

The Buick, wasting away with him, became petrified after 10 years of neglect. He emerged from the garage a human flag, weighing 140 lbs.

His skin was stretched so that on a windy day, it waved in the air and all of the neighborhood cats put their paws to their heads in salute.

Often, his skin would lead and his legs would trip over them. Boy did his mom feel foolish, locking him away to starve. Her bad i suppose.

He was always a very lonely boy and he cried to me and said "you're the only friend I have in the world."

I thought the world must be a small place if i'm the only friend in it. I suggested surgery to rid himself of the excess skin. He did it.

The doctors cut the excess skin and used it to make tents at the old shanty town just north of home where the homeless were grateful.

He had stretch marks. I glanced at him in the lockeroom and saw that his body resembled a freeway; with off-ramps, on-ramps and junctions.

Billy pointed to his left nipple. "That's my house." I was saddened but also relieved that, at last, Billy had become useful.

The Fire Within

The tree burned in front of them now, but it all began before he was born. His mother had suffered a high fever throughout the pregnancy.

The doctors could find nothing wrong and she felt fine, but for nine months she was hot to the touch. When he was born her temperature fell.

When he was young his family would always remark about how cool his room was. Shivers occurred around him frequently. Problems began at 10.

His ball rolled into the fireplace. He cried before plunging his hand into the flame. As the limb moved closer the fire extinguished.

He complained of fever and went to bed. As he slept he cooled, but the air heated until the room was in flames. His family died that night.

By 16 it was controlled. He cooked steaks in his hand with heat from car engines. Match flames he stored for later like holding your breath.

Girls avoided him though. They didn't know what made him different but they got the chills near him and that was enough to drive them away.

He kissed a girl once. She fell asleep in his arms as her heart slowed and the cold took her over. He took her home and never called again.

Now her. He opened up to her. He had nothing left to lose. He struck the match. He took in the flame then threw it at the tree with force.

As it burned she cried for him, and decided to brave the cold. As she embraced him she listened as her tears sizzled like oil on his chest.