Karen Schauber’s flash fiction appears in ninety-five international literary magazines, journals, and anthologies, with a Pushcart, Best Small Fictions, four Best Microfiction nominations, and a spot on The Wigleaf Top 50 Longlist. She is editor of the award-winning flash fiction anthology The Group of Seven Reimagined: Contemporary Stories Inspired by Historic Canadian Paintings (Heritage House, 2019). She curates Vancouver Flash Fiction, an online resource hub, and Miramichi Flash, a monthly literary column. In her spare time she is a seasoned family therapist. https://KarenSchauberCreative.weebly.com 

Dream Vacation

We did not reach the water’s edge before Billy slipped beneath the surly waves. We did not watch instead of wading, stand quiet instead of yelling. There was no final tiny bob poking up through the watery veneer that we rushed to retrieve. Our hearts did not pound in our chests, did not explode with panic, regret, shame. We did not drink the elixir together, did not lose perspective, see things that did not exist. We didn’t board the plane the following day leaving our childhood friend floating up a tributary of the mighty Amazon River. Ayahuasca adventure behind us.