The Sum of Us

THE SUM OF US TALES OF THE BONDED AND BOUNDLAKSA ANTHOLOGY SERIES: SPECULATIVE FICTION Edited by Susan Forest & Lucas K. Law LAKSA MEDIA GROUPS INC. www.laksamedia.com Laksa Anthology Series: Speculative Fiction EDITED BY SUSAN FOREST AND LUCAS K. LAWStrangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound Shades Within Us: Tales of Global Migration and Fractured Borders (forthcoming) Seasons In Us: Tales of Identities and Memories (forthcoming) EDITED BY LUCAS K. LAW AND DERWIN MAKWhere the Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction & Fantasy The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound Laksa Anthology Series: Speculative Fiction Copyright © 2017 by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law All rights reserved This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, organizations, places and incidents portrayed in these stories are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual situations, events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Laksa Media Groups supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Laksa Media Groups to continue to publish books for every reader. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication The sum of us : tales of the bonded and bound / edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law. (Laksa anthology series: speculative fiction) Issued in print and electronic formats. ISBN 978-0-9939696-9-0 (softcover).—ISBN 978-1-988140-03-2 (hardcover).—ISBN 978-1-988140-00-1 (EPUB).—ISBN 978-1-988140-01-8 (PDF).—ISBN 978-1-988140-02-5 (k****e) 1. Science fiction, Canadian (English). 2. Fantasy fiction, Canadian (English). 3. Speculative fiction, Canadian (English). 4. Caregivers—Fiction. 5. Mental health—Fiction. 6. Mental illness—Fiction. I. Forest, Susan, editor II. Law, Lucas K., editor PS8323.S3S86 2017 C813’.0876208353 C2016-907781-0 C2016-907782-9 LAKSA MEDIA GROUPS INC. Calgary, Alberta, Canada www.laksamedia.com info@laksamedia.com Edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law Cover and Interior Design by Samantha M. Beiko Susan Forest To my husband, Don Totten, My steadfast and lifelong partner, without whom I would be lost; To my children and their partners and offspring, Heather Osborne, Alec Osborne, Holly Totten, and Amy Totten, Who continue to inspire me with their love and passion for life. And they promise to get me a very nice long term care facility on Mars, when the time comes (its true!). Lucas K. Law To my siblings, Adrian Law and Bibiana Law, and their families, Who I think of often and don’t spend enough time with; To my extended families, Feist, Keller, Scott, Tipton, and Yochim, For their generosity and kindness. They embody the true meaning of caring and sharing; To my good friend, Julie Laviolette, For the joy that Westhill brings all these years. Table of ContentsFOREWORD - Lucas K. Law INTRODUCTION - Dominik Parisien The Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentant Supervillains - Ian Creasey Bottleneck - A.M. Dellamonica Mother Azalea’s Sad Home for Forgotten Adults - James Van Pelt Things that Creep and Bind - Christie Yant The Gift - Bev Geddes The Gatekeeper - Juliet Marillier The Healer’s Touch - Colleen Anderson The Crystal Harvester - Brenda Cooper The Burdens We Bear - Hayden Trenholm A Mother’s Milk - Heather Osborne The Mother’s Keepers - Edward Willett The Oracle and the Warlord - Karina Sumner-Smith The Beautiful Gears of Dying - Sandra Kasturi The Gardener - Amanda Sun Number One Draft Pick - Claire Humphrey Orang Tua Adventure Home Academy - Charlotte Ashley Sunshine of Your Love - Nisi Shawl Good-bye Is That Time Between Now and Forever - Matt Moore Ambassador to the Meek - Alex Shvartsman Gone Flying - Liz Westbrook-Trenholm Am I Not A Proud Outlier? - Kate Story Blinders - Tyler Keevil Dreams As Fragile As Glass - Caroline M. Yoachim AFTERWORD - Susan Forest ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS ABOUT THE EDITORS COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS APPENDIX