Back in the northern colony they had begun to preparing everyone for starvation. For death. And now were there any left?
The Dun-in-man man lived.
The Dun-in-man could stumble upon her.
She almost wished he would. Two against a pack meant blood, flesh, skin, and bones to nurse for the winter.
Would he take her too?
She did not know.
The colony; the constable swinging his weight around the gated property to keep everyone on their toes. As food supplies grew short so does patience. Paranoia begins. She is the first to leave.
"The colony,” she whispered. She placed the pot on the stove, pulling her blankets close. Fever sweat rolled off her forehead.
"I, Tiresias," featured in Common Oddities Speculative Fiction Sideshow , was composed during the period where I researched the prophet Tiresias, and explored his and her transformations. The story began as a what if scenario: what if one of the last people on the planet were a FTM character? How would she be treated? Would her infertility become an issue? The story became a survival story, very much in the tradition of "To Build a Fire," except for the dystopian winter apocalypse.
Note: This is the same world explored in "The Dun in Man and the Fat Man."
In addition, Terry appears in unpublished stories of the marshpunk dystopia world currently featured in Helios Quarterly, however this winter apocalypse occurs much further down the time line.
This story also features the mute ranger/scout, the Dun-in Man.
Both characters feature prominently in an untitled work in progress.
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