Crown

When the virus starts, Nick crowns himself king. He dons an old plastic crown from Burger King, vestige of childhood. He chugs Coronas in the yard sans mask. He respects masks, but he doesn’t need one.

He’s always been a master drinker, along with playing chicken on roads and with bill collectors.

The virus won’t come without permission. There’s a power to Nick’s assertion with each day, each statistic. Ferocity fells motherfuckers.

Even with red zones and alerts, Nick taunts. His crown’s coming apart and his words just a little less assertive. Tears are just the result of sweat.

Fuck statistics.

Mir-Yashar Seyedbagheri is a graduate of Colorado State University’s MFA program in fiction. A native of Boise, Idaho, his story, “Soon,” was nominated for a Pushcart. Mir-Yashar has also had work nominated for The Best Small Fictions and Best of the Net.

Mir-Yashar’s work is forthcoming or has been published in WestWard Quarterly, Café Lit, (mac)ro (mic), and Ariel Chart, among others.