Children scour tanks left crippled among the dying trees.

A bloated body in khaki, abandoned by retreating troops, is fought over by crows, greedy and fractious.

Rushing out, the woman stares; one glance at what remains of his face is enough. She screams and collapses.

It’s the road to hell.

Formerly a University scientist, Hugh is now retired and living in the Pacific Northwest, where writing provides a diversion from his doomed attempts to grow Canadian oranges. His stories have appeared in Nature Futures, Foxglove Journal, Meniscus, The Drabble, Grey Sparrow Journal, and elsewhere.