Sozobe, thanks for seconding my interpretation. This story felt to me abrupt and unrealized, almost like a sketch for something longer. The test for a short story is when you finish, think back over it and decide if the form is perfect--perfect the way an orange or an egg is perfect, the way nature meant it to be. This story alas flunks that test.
A sketch, yeah. I do love those perfect short stories... hard to come by.
I have high hopes for this one (though have not read it yet). "Filthy With Things" is one of my favorite short stories.
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=151481#151481
