Near the Last Stop

Flash Fiction by Oliver Cassidy



He was on the verge of giving up. He'd been trying to get a modeling job for years now. Everyone told him he had the look. "You should model," they'd say. He took it seriously - diet, exercise, the whole thing. Couldn't catch a break. He felt sorry for himself. Despite having a mentally retarded brother, he felt sorry for himself. He felt angry about everyone feeling he had no right to feel sorry for himself. "You're a handsome guy," they'd say. "You have talent and an education. Think of your poor brother."

Sometimes he wished he was retarded.