Women’s Work

By K. M. Elkes

When the men come for Line-Up, remember to laugh, lick your lips, and smile. Always look pleased. If you are chosen, begin the Intimacy Induction using a conversation prompt from the documentation provided. Follow the correct protocols when you enter the Privacy Chamber. Start the music and mood the lights. 

Begin by cleansing the head. Take your time over the brain, using the wipes provided. Move through each organ separately. Start with the spleen and end on the heart. Here there may be blockages or foul-smelling deposits. Parts may be abrasive to touch. 

If he asks if there are any problems, reassure him. 

It is essential you clear your mind when you hold his heart. Do not think of these, or similar, common examples: the smell of yellow flowers, laughter, warm bread, your children. 

When you are finished, help him sit. Violence is uncommon, but he may remark on some agitation he feels, about a sense of absence or a lightness. Reassure him that these are merely side-effects and that things will soon return to normal. Help him put on his clothes and lace his shoes. Remember, always, to smile.

When he is gone, attend to End Tasks. Put all toxic materials into the sealed container, marked for incineration. You may, at this stage, begin to feel certainty, thoughts or ideas may be enhanced, there may be an unresolved sense of satisfaction or relief. Do not panic, these are merely side effects and things will soon return to normal. 

When you are finished, dress yourself. Wipe your mouth. Then wait for help to arrive.


K. M. Elkes is the author of the story collection All That Is Between Us (Ad Hoc Fiction). His flash fiction has also won various competitions, including Bath Flash Fiction Award, Reflex Fiction Prize, and the Fish Flash Prize. He is a Pushcart and Best Microfictions nominee. His short stories have been runners-up in the BBC National Short Story Award, Manchester Fiction Prize, Bridport Prize, and the Royal Society of Literature Prize. His work has also appeared in numerous literary anthologies and journals and featured on school curricula in the USA and Hong Kong. Find his “Writing Talk” Substack here, and the rest of his online musings here.