This is the final installment of my latest serial of short fiction. Preceding it, in chronological order, were “A Jogging Contradiction,” “The Good One,” “Contrary to Ordinary,” “Backsliding,” “A Sign of Weakness,” and “Sweet Freedom.” If you haven’t been following along, fear not, for I shall post the whole story in one take …
Sweet Freedom
This is the sixth installment in this short story, preceded, from beginning to here, by “A Jogging Contradiction,” “The Good One,” “Contrary to Ordinary,” “Backsliding,” and “A Sign of Weakness.” Eliza Evermore was highly distressed to see Johnny Jacklin headed toward her office. The gray suit looked good on him. He’d cut his …
A Sign of Weakness
This the fifth installment of a story, preceded, in chronological order, by “A Jogging Contradiction,” “The Good One,” “Contrary to Ordinary,” and “Backsliding.” Surprise was Johnny Jacklin’s preferred mode of operation. He called Eliza at the Forgiveness, Inc., office, and asked if she was up for a nice drive and maybe a hike. She was, …
Dates, Ages, & Other Nonsense
It hit me like a numerical freight train, shortly after I awakened and chose the appropriate strain of coffee. I went with “Breakfast Blend,” which would seem to be a no-brainer. Today is 12/13/14, and since the calendar has only twelve months, next year there won’t be a 13/14/15. Even my math skills visualize that. …
Backsliding
The previous installments of this story were known, in order, as “A Jogging Contradiction,” “The Good One,” and “Contrary to Ordinary”: Her lunch with Johnny Jacklin left Eliza Evermore in what seemed to her a mild state of hypnosis. She was fascinated. She longed to see him again, but he made no more appearances at …
Contrary to Ordinary
This is a continuation of the story begun in “A Jogging Contradiction” and then “The Good One”: The son of a multimillionaire evangelist, and the brother of a millionaire fraud, drove a rented Toyota Tercel. His father would have been picked up at the airport in a limo. His brother would likely have snorted cocaine …
The Good One
This is a continuation of “A Jogging Contradiction”: Seldom did anyone at Forgiveness, Inc., talk about Johnny Jacklin. He was the missing son. What little talk there was dwelled not on Johnny but on his absence. He was a myth instead of a man. The myth was sitting in Eliza Evermore’s office and …
Whaddaya Do?
Last night provided no options I deemed satisfying other than going to Viva Zapata and getting Luis to put together something I’d like. I loved it. I don’t know what it was. It had beef, onions, cheese, was served with refried beans and rice, and that narrowed it down to seventy-seven possibilities. If I order …
What I’ve Learned Lately
I just finished another once-over – a third-over, if such a word exists, or, perhaps more properly, a fourth draft – of my third novel, which is called Crazy of Natural Causes. I now consider it ready to be publication, though it is not impending. I considered it ready after the third-draft, too. After I …
A Jogging Contradiction
Up this hill and down, and up another hill. Lathered. Rinse. Repeat. I’m tired. It’s so sensuous. Eliza Evermore enjoyed her life in Colorado Springs. It was inspiring to jog in the breathtaking shadow of Pikes Peak. Olympians trained here. She just plodded along. Sometimes she watched the flyboys marching at the Air Force Academy. …
Nightrider's Lament 