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Originally Published by Punk Noir Press on February 1, 2025. Punk Noir Magazine put out a call for flash submissions themed Valentine Crimes of Passion, written in less than 100 words. It was a challenge! Grateful ‘Ice Child’ was accepted.


It was only a box of chocolate. But I knew my dream girl deserved it. Problem was my paper-route paid $4 a week, Valentine’s Day was three days away, and the box cost $9.99. Highway robbery. 

Undeterred, I entered the store. Smiled at the cashier, who was busy with another customer, then strode to the back for a smooth five-finger discount. 

My mom said fifth grade was too young for these things, but she’s wrong. Without that first box, my dream girl wouldn’t be buried in my backyard fifty years later. The heart wants what the heart wants.


Karen Grose is from Toronto, Canada. Her debut novel, The Dime Box, was selected by Amnesty International for its 2021 Book Club. Her second is Flat Out Lies, and All June Left Behind is coming Spring 2025. She has flash, poems, and short stories published by Roi Faineant Press, Paddler Press, Punk Noir Magazine, Epistemic Literary Magazine, Hooghly Review, Bunker Squirrel Magazine, and Superior Shores Press. Track her down on X: @kgrose2, IG: karengrosewrites, FB, or at www.karengrose.ca.

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