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Murderous Thoughts
The “kids” at the dinner table, the same one they'd sat at for years, what’s left of a meal still scattered about. Lucy, the oldest, at the head of the table, where she always sits. Danny, two years younger and then Richard, named after the father, now long since dead. They called him Little Dick because one day an Aunt says, "The boy looks like the old man", so he was Little Dickie, and the name stuck. No one outside of the room had ever called him that.
Lucy’s high on red wine, Danny’s smoking weed and Dick wondering which way to go. They’re not kids anymore, now in their 60’s and thinking of snuffing the old lady. Lucy saying, “Tell it to me one more time”.
Her talking to Danny, who was always the numbers guy. The one who never had a problem at school. He’s looking at the plate in front of him, pushing around what's left of a slice of peach pie with a spoon.
Not looking up, “I told you. It’s a cliff that the government created. On January 1 the taxes go up, and that’s that. The only way around it is if the fools in Washington step back and make a deal. If they don’t, then we get hit."
Lucy still confused, saying, “Why now?” Adding, “How much money is it?”
The brother, looking disgusted, "She’s worth about six mil all in. The capital gains rate going from 15% to 35% will hit us on her stocks and the house. Then there's the 55% estate tax that kicks in over $1m versus the $5.1m it is now; it's close to $3.5mil more tax owing than if she died today. It comes to about $1.2mil apiece."
Dickie, not liking where this is headed, and looking for some other way, “Why don’t you use the Power of Attorney you've got and just transfer out the money now. Fuck the cliff and the three mil it will cost us.”
Danny, still playing with the pie, “You can’t do that. The IRS would see it as transfers in anticipation of death. We get caught, cost us big in fines.”
Dropping the spoon, turning to the sister, eyes meeting, “If she goes before the end of the year, it saves us a bundle. Even if there's a compromise, they'll still gouge us plenty.
Lucy, looking back, “It’s the meds that are keeping her going. Ninety-three, and her pressure 70 over 40, barely alive. If she stopped with the pressure pills, the numbers would fall a bit more; she'd fall asleep and just not wake up.”
Danny saying, “How long”? Lucy making sure what he’s asking, “You mean before she dies?” Him saying, “Yeah, how long’?"
“Maybe five days, it could be just one”. It got quiet with that.
After awhile, Lucy, being the oldest and the one who made all the decisions early on, tells it like it is, “We wait til Christmas, see what Washington is going to do to us. But then we have to choose”. Adding with a hard look on her face, “We'd have only six days left”.
The boys saying nothing, shaking their heads, "Yeah".
Okay, I’m just goofing around. Experimenting with fiction/dialogue. And yes, I do tend to dwell on the dark side. But this story is more real than you might think. Some 7000 older folks are dying every day, 200k by the end of the year. A fair number of those have bucks in the bank. If it’s over $1m, then big taxes are due if falling off the cliff is in our future.
My story is pure fiction, but in real life, thousands of people and millions of dollars are up in the air. After all, it's about the money. Right?
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I'd suggest you not read anything by
Cormac McCarthy...Pretty much the same near-stream-of-conscousness writing.
was thinking the same thing
I didn't junk you, Water, but I think it's like this: Bruce goes to a lot of trouble to think out loud and then put it into writing for us. His stuff is good, useful and informative and he doesn't charge us anything for it. Bruce is what we call a "person of good will". He's willing to put himself to considerable trouble to give us food for thought. We like that, and we appreciate Bruce and his articles.
So people probably get a little crabby when somebody appears to be dissing Bruce without taking the time to thank him for all the complete sentences and non-fictional scenarios.
Just a thought. I could be wrong. Anyhow, thanks, Bruce. You're one of the best parts of ZH in my irrelevant opinion.
How do you spell "clueless"?
wtf is this inglish klass
Of course that was deliberate. Like I said, I was playing around with dialogue.
Less is more. I tried to cut all of the words that were not absolutely necessary. Sorry you did not like it.
Tomorrow I will post a piece on Social Security, long sentences, lots of numbers and charts. Took me hours to put together. Right up your alley.
But the thing is, I'm tired of writing about SS. I need a new gig.
b
Oh, so you know, my editor hated it too....
But then I did not hear this, from AU, until late:
http://zen-haven.com/au-killer-project-kids-asked-to-think-like-a-murderer/
Professor needed?
What a load of crap. She's got that much money it would be in a blind trust by now. Try again.
I bet "Little Dickie" thought a few more of those words weren't absolutely necessary.
I can't wait for the SSI piece. I'm 64, on early SSI and a lil part time job in an industry about to go tits up here in MT. I'll probably gross around $30k this year. Small, very managable credit card balance. My modest savings is all in gold and silver. I keep just enough cash to pay bills. And even though I have food and necessities for a year+ I suspect I'm fucked....but I'll go down fighting :)
Editors are paid to hate everything.
BTW, I think the above story could have been livened up a little if they were planning on knocking off their senators and reps.
BK. too much drama. Just needs to gift it up to 5 mill exemption till the end of them year and it's done. No need to kill her off. Gezzzz
I liked it, Bruce. Almost Elmore Leonard-ish. I think you should finish it. You could call it Get Granny.
or "Weekend at Mommie's"...the kids have Mom mummified in 2012 as they exercise power of attorney until their own kids bump THEM off in the Libertarian family tradition....
BK, I liked the story and even the pacing, your editor must be an idiot (heh ... hope your editor is not also your wife). I have been writing about money a little too, as the spirit moves me. Here is one also about murder, though it does not even try to be contrite:
http://madscienceunlimited.com/fiction/aTearForTheSinner.html
coog
Well it appears that we would rather give our money to charity or the gvt, before we would even think of giving it to our kin! So the cliff it is, in the name of national debt.
Screw the editors and enjoy the freedom and power of WoRDS.
Good short story!
Couldn't agree more.
BK - you should try more of this stuff. Not as boring as the same old thing... good job.
p.s. I do enjoy your work. :)
Yes, this was one of BK's best. And I've had similar thoughts about various inlaws and outlaws. However, when the two wings of the ZOGbeast get through with the usual theatrics, it'll be same old: more taxes, more spending, more debt.
http://news.yahoo.com/why-obama-pushing-stimulus-fiscal-cliff-deal-video...
"I tried to cut all of the words that were not absolutely necessary."
Based on what? The arbitrary internet rulez of l33t-speak?
Who is the dipshit that does not know the difference between a professional business report and a fricking story?
Some people have too much time on their hands.
You did good Bruce.
“let it go -- the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise -- let it go it
was sworn to
go
EE Cummings
Like the man said. Let it GOOOOO. Get it??
Action verbs are followed by adverbs, not predicate adjectives. He did well, dipshit.
That was complex, my head hurts.
@Krasting sez,
Boy oh boy, can hardly wait for that. Another hatchet job on SS by Krasting.
Hey bright boy, how about bashing the Department of Bloat (otherwise known as the Defense Department)? If the DOD returned a nickel to society it would be the first time.
Defense is 4.5% of the GDP and is a legitimate function of the federal government.
Social security is not a legitimate function of the federal government and consumes 5% of the GDP.
Mandatory federal programs consume 14.4% of the GDP.
So we go after the legitimate portion that consumes 4.5% or the social justice vote buying programs that consume 14.4%?
There has been nothing legitimate about our "Defense" department (War Department) since 1917. Or maybe 1898. Or even 1861, for that matter.
"Defense". Right.
Up your ass.
Social security is not a legitimate function of the federal government
Up your ass.
My God! What a powerful, irrefutable rebuttal! Thank you for your cogent, well thought-out response and contribution to this site.
Try to find a mention of social welfare in any part of the constitution. Then try to find another neuron so you can finally form a synapse and generate a coherent thought.
http://reason.com/blog/2008/10/24/saving-social-security-episode
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride!
They didn't call it the fiscal cliff for nothing. Nice short story, thanks!
Uh ... Merry Christmas ?
The death rate always spikes at Christmas.Its put down to the
stress of dealing with family.
This Christmas could be a lot worse.
BK might have been joking , but I'm sure some families are having
this exact cconversation right now.
Merry Christmas Grand Ma.
Boating accident.
Lost Grandma and all our gold.
Dagnab it!
And in the master's chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can't kill the beast
"Uh...Merry Christmas"
On the first day of christ-mas, the count down goes...
anti-christ ?