Small Girl in the Big City — Scott Reeves

Set in the same universe as the novel "The Big City," this 7,400-word science fiction short story tells how sixteen-year-old Jerica's life is turned upside down when her mother's head is pulped to mush by a coin carelessly dropped from higher up in the mega-city. Determined to find out who dropped the coin and avenge her mother, Jerica makes the difficult trek skyward, where she's taken in by a shifty pimp named Jifter.

Previously titled "Small Girl in the Big City."