I pushed open the door to the Newport Mini Mart, a small convenience store in the corner of Fourth and Madison. A cozy spot I’ve come to frequent due to the hot coffee and the pretty little lady behind the counter. “Good morning, Gladis,” I waved to the elder woman complete with a pristine smock and name tag. She smiled…
Author: Eric M Hunter
Desert
I awoke late one night. I was covered in sweat from the dry heat. My oscillating fan having given its last breath, the open bedroom window did very little to subside the aching fingers of Mother Nature. It didn’t call my name, per say, but it beckoned me to come to it. I raised out of my bed and walked…
Door
She took my hand and we walked for another mile or two over rough terrain. We’ve been hiking for two days now and I was about to call it quits. “It’s just over this ridge,” she said. How many times has she said that. Three times. Four? And the heat is setting in, it seems. I adjusted my backpack and…
Late Night Walk
The night was calm enough for a late night walk. The rumblings from the city had died down early for the evening. No sounds of gunshots or fireworks. I threw on a light jacket, checked my watch, and headed out the front door. The moon was full and hung high enough in the sky for a witch on a brom…
Mowing the Lawn
“There, there. Turn there; Fifth street,” James pointed his meaty index finger on the windshield as I confidently nodded my head, turned the blinker, and checked my rear-view mirror before turning down the street. We came from a small use road into a neighborhood of similar, single family homes. The road winded down a small drop and started back up…
family dinner
Jeffrey scrapped his knife into the plate, stabbed a piece of overcooked meat with his fork, and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed hard and with each bite he could feel the anger in him rising. The sounds echoed through the dining hall. His mother’s button eyes bore down into him as she smiled her plastic smile, never weavering.…
doubles
I adjusted the sight on my rifle and shifted my shoulders a bit to push the stiffness out. I took a deep breath through my nose and tried to calm my nerves. Where the hell was he? The city street below was busy with noon traffic heavier than normal and there were a lot of bystanders making their way from…
spiders
I walked downstairs, stomping each step as loud as I could. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get it. Just a second.” I hit the landing, waited a moment, then stepped into the basement. Flicking on the light, I noticed all the work that my wife had been asking me to do. There are old toys, dust bunnies, and threats to my feet…
Sleepless Travelers
Another Traveler came into the space just then. “Hey.” “Hey.” He released control to her. She took over the ears, the eyes, and the base of the neck and surveyed the surroundings. “Where am I?” she asked. “It’s a bedroom. It’s late,” he explained. She allowed the body to take in a deep breath and exhaled through the nose. She…
Dollar Store Journal
I picked up this notebook at the Dollar Store down the street. It was the last one. Even had to ask for help in finding it. They cram so much shit in those stores nowadays. Oh, man. What the hell am I doing? Doc said it might be best to write my thoughts down, a journal, I guess. I told…