Wonky Williams

Wonky Williams

I was at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, which I thought should be renamed for a cooler guy. I arrived five hours early because they messed up my boarding pass. They thought my last name was my first name and my first name was my last name. They thought I was a Roald Dahl character. I explained I was a real person with a real name, and after a handful of judgmental comments, a ticketing agent deigned to bequeath upon me my real name. I checked my bag. I lied about there being no lithium batteries. I went through TSA and they pelted me with assorted candies: lollipops, gumdrops, gobstoppers. I felt like Willy Wonka. I explained to them that I was Wonky Williams, but they just kept tossing those sweet treats. I drank a ham & cheese croissant and ate a caffè latte and thought about lithium batteries. I took a life-threatening coffee shit, but the bathroom was beautiful. The toilet paper was thin as a Russian figure skater. It tore easy as the fabric of the universe. None of the automatic faucets worked until I turned the knobs. I dunked my hands in toilet water. I painted the airport with chocolate. I listened to The Apples in Stereo. I listened to my intrusive thoughts. I thought about lithium batteries. I wondered if the Sanrio combination Bluetooth speaker/nightlight I bought my friend would kill us all. I Googled will the Sanrio combination Bluetooth speaker/nightlight I bought my friend kill us all? Google said signs point to yes. I shook my Magic 8-Ball. My Magic 8-Ball said it is certain. I shrugged like a weasel. I entered the gate, which was protected by talismans. I burst into flames, but I kept my cool. I boarded the plane and was bespirited by Baphomet. I had a sea salt chocolate quinoa crisp and a small cerulean cup of Coke. I teleported to the cargo hold and immolated My Melody. The plane fell into the Atlantic Ocean. I fell into the depths of hell. My friend played her songs at my wake. I requested her Sanrio song, but she didn’t hear me. But she did play it anyways, immediately after I asked. I thought it was a good coincidence, more so than a miracle. Baphomet asked what’s her name? All of the demons asked what’s your name? I said it only matters what you call things when you have somewhere to go.

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About the Author

Travis Shosa has published poetry at Stanchion, Maudlin House, BRUISER, Burial Magazine, BULLSHIT LIT, Eulogy Press, and others. They have published journalism at Pitchfork, Bandcamp Daily, The Line of Best Fit, PAPER, and others. This is their first flash fiction, but not their last. You can find them mostly on Twitter: @travis_shosa

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Willy Wonka in his Felt Hat by David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons