My new story, “Shooting a Chupacabra,” appearing now in Latine Lit, adds to the canon of Puerto Rico’s favorite cryptid. Hat tip to editor Russ López for selecting my story!
The story uses George Orwell’s famous essay “Shooting an Elephant” as a template. The essay recounts a British colonial officer in Burma and his reluctance to shoot an elephant in order to maintain authority.
My story takes place in the modern dystopia of a Puerto Rico ruled by Pedro Pierluisi. Here is an excerpt:
“In Luquillo, I was hated by many people on a daily basis. As a beach cop in my khaki uniform, I suppose I was a perfect target. When an oiled-up gym rat of a tourist tripped me as I walked my beat, he and his boys laughed at me like syphilitic hyenas. Their girlfriends, with their vacant faces, were worse, catcalling and jeering, ‘Latin po po!'”
You can catch the whole tale here: https://www.latinelit.com/shooting-a-chupacabra