By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Porcelain is a short story written by the very talented writers Michael Bonomo and Jennifer Kaefer. It appears this was also made into a live-action short in 2011 and was directed by Bonomo. I have yet to see that but after reading this, I am very interested in doing so.
The story opens with our main character, Kenny, who has been out of consistent work for 8 months, much to the chagrin of his overbearing father-n-law Dennis. His wife Liah is very supportive, but after being turned down for yet another job, self-pity sets in. Kenny receives the disappointing phone call during dinner with Liah and Dennis. Though, Liah as always has his back, Dennis tells his son-n-law to get it together. Kenny watches his words and walks on eggshells as Dennis’s wife recently passed away.
Still, Kenny finds the gumption to stand up to Dennis using the most polite words possible. He is quickly shot down and yelled at as Liah remains quiet watching the uncomfortable scene. After Dennis leaves, Liah offers more encouragement to her broken husband, telling him to stand up to her father. Kenny is sadly too engulfed in defeatism to even comprehend the words of confidence coming from his wife.
He leaves the house and jumps into his beaten-up truck for a drive so that he can cool down. Due to his dying cell phone, a sun setting directly in his eyes, and a turn he shouldn’t have taken, Kenny ends up lost and in a neighborhood he’s unfamiliar with. His night becomes far worse when he strikes a young child grasping a doll. Rather than doing the right thing, he left the little dead girl in the street unsure if anyone had seen what just transpired.
Afterwards, he stopped by a liquor store and was going to purchase some cheap boos when he heard a young girl’s laughter. He was kicked out by the shopkeeper. He stops for coffee afterwards and is then haunted by the victim’s presence. She seems to follow him everywhere and despite his pleas and apologies, she doesn’t go away. Each time the girl or something representing the girl shows itself, it drives Kenny a little crazier.
This is a very quick read and a very fun story. It has elements of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart though evidence certainly points to a supernatural force rather than guilt alone. This tale also reminded me of an old Twilight Zone episode called You Drive (1964). In that, the main character is involved in a hit-and-run after striking a young child. After that, the car begins acting strangely with the lights blinking and the horn going on and off in the middle of the night. Finally, it becomes apparent that the vehicle wants the old man to turn himself in.
Here the outcome is far different though I won’t give anything away. It’s well-written and is a very quick read. The characters and the dialogue are written in a very realistic manner making it easy to envision the scenes described in the short story actually happening.
Kenny is a very complex character. In the beginning, he is extremely sympathetic as he is being verbally attacked by his father-n-law. His wife’s reaction to the argument is easily understood as she is quite literally in the middle. Dennis just comes across as a jerk.
Later, when Kenny leaves the child he instantly becomes a villain. There are still elements of his character that remain sympathetic but the truth of it is his initial act of self-preservation was put over the well-being of the child and consoling the family of the child he ran over.
I highly recommend it. It’s only $.99 on Kindle and can be purchased via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Porcelain-Michael-Bonomo-ebook/dp/B00GCCLFHC/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384329091&sr=1-2&keywords=porcelain.
