The Mishkan Book of the Dead

—by Mishka Zakharin

Unlike other Books of the Dead, The Mishkan Book of the Dead does not merely concern itself with the “hereafter” or the “in-between”, but delves into the “there-before” (as it were) and the “off-to-the-left-and-sort-of-sticking-out-from-behind-the-couch-a-bit” (so to speak)... a collection unified by the common theme of death, as shown from various angles, and within a wide range of contexts, including all the wonderful elements we’ve grown to adore and admire from our beloved Mishka-from the philosophical to the absurd, from the sexy to the morose, he covers the spectrum of death (and life) from his refreshingly unique perspective...

Of his Book of the Dead, Mishka remarked: “Yes, yes-so here’s some more that I have written… weep not! – or weep… who are you, but what am I?!… Read it or not-I’ll – never know… or I might, but you won’t know I know – or if you do, you won’t tell me, but that would just be rude… (quite frankly, I really expected more from you…)–but, at any rate, another anthology of Zakharinish short fiction–I highly recommend it, as some of it doesn’t suck at all (though I may be a wee bit biased…); pass on it at your own risk… you won’t know what you’re missing–though you’ll never stop wondering… and how the hell are you going to sleep at night with that looming overhead?…”

Short Fiction 1^stBooks

Excerpt—

from ‘Frank & Irene’

Frank was a Presbyterian and Holly was a whore. But their love went beyond the boundaries created by anything so superficial as religion or profession... or so Frank had thought when they were young and away at an out-of-state university, far from home for the first time in their lives, and free, among other things, to fall in love…

Of course, it all just seemed like inconvenient hog-wattle now, as he drove off to an illicit rendezvous with his mistress on a gray, bleak Saturday afternoon, the weekend before Thanksgiving. Her name was Renata, and they had met when she’d bumped into his table at a coffee-house that… as the Fates would have it be!… was located in the block between the one Frank worked on and the start of the campus where Renata attended college; she had nearly spilled his scalding hot beverage into his lap, but he’d managed to catch most of it with his jacket sleeve and the floor instead. Apologizing profusely, she had introduced herself, and Frank was immediately taken with her. In correcting him on the pronunciation of her name, she had laughed when he replied, “I say ‘Re-nay-tah’; you say ‘Re-nah-tah’” …he had just been about to “call the whole thing off” when she said “pajamas!” and blushed winsomely… when she’d offered to buy him another cup of coffee, he had gratefully accepted…

This was their fourth date, and they were meeting at the food-court at the mall. Renata, ever mindful of Frank’s infidelity, questioned the decision to be together in so public a place, but Frank waved away her objection by pointing out that, in the mêlée of bustling Christmas shoppers, if anyone either of them knew should approach they could explain his matrimonial indiscretion as mere happenstance—they were acquaintances who just happened to run into each other by simple coincidence and decided to share a table… (Though, on the inside, contrary to his exterior display of rugged bravado, Frank’s willies were scared silly and ready to bolt!)

As he stared across the table into the dazzling sparkle of her rich, brown eyes, the breath caught in his throat, and he surely would have soon fallen over dead from asphyxiation due to her glorious beauty if the tremendous pounding of his heart had not forced the air from his body—natural instinct taking over again as he glanced down at his food, he shoved a trio of crisp French-fries into his mouth and resumed normal breathing… until he again looked into her eyes, and it happened all over again! She smiled at him over the rim of her soda, her eyes rolling back in embarrassment at the attention he paid her, and she scrunched her shoulders in a shrug of unreleased giddiness. Surrounded by hundreds of people, cast into a roiling sea of anonymous faces, an ocean whose waters were but cold, indifferent strangers, Frank and Renata sat in the warm and sheltered safe-haven of one another’s presence—alone amongst so many, basking in the comforting silence they each heard over the din arising from the roar induced by other people’s lives, Frank wondered if he could ever tire of staring at her… of just looking into her eyes… of knowing the warmth of her smile… of tasting the sweetness of her full, red lips… of smelling the scent of her hair...which always seemed so fresh and clean and perfect-- of feeling the silky softness of her touch…of experiencing the magical passion that arose whenever their flesh merged, their bodies intertwining…

A surge of warmth… that had begun as a tightness of utmost yearning in the pit of his abdomen… spread rapidly through him. Swallowing his fries in a big, mushy clump of suddenly inconvenient, greasy, potato pulp, Frank’s eyes bore into her with an intensity that was yet so new to Renata… but not at all unwelcome; she suppressed a shiver as her own tingle exploded along lightening webs of desire.

“Are you ready to go?” Her voice, whispered, was inaudible to him over the noise of the crowd around them… or would have been, had they not been alone in each other.

“I…” He faltered, not sure how she would react. “I rented a room…” Frank had decided it might be a good idea, given their track record so far; their first tryst had occurred in the backseat of his car, and their second, on an unseasonably warm day, in the bushes along the river at the park. Most recently, they had tried Renata’s dorm room… dangerous, should her roommate come home when not expected. Since he couldn’t very well take her to his house, a hotel seemed best. But now he felt nervous, presenting the idea to her this way… it seemed so presumptuous, so… premeditated…

Renata smiled and began slipping her jacket on. With a sigh of relief, Frank followed her lead, and in moments they were halfway to the parking lot…

Contents—

The Heart

Frank & Irene

Hermit

Jimmy Thru 9

Wounds

Sour Grapes: A Parable

Hummers Beware

Selected Shorts

Balthazar of the Undead

Sweet Mystery of Life

And Then She Put Her Clothes On and Left…

Return to Mishka’s Home Page