Jacob Marsh

Part 27 – It Will Never Be Clean Again

Daisy It was a good day for the Pizza Stack. Lots of orders spread out almost evenly over the afternoon. Pleasant customers that arrived on time, many of which even tipped, Daisy was her the zone. She felt like she did in her forties, maybe even her thirties. As a bonus, the convenience store hadn’tContinue reading “Part 27 – It Will Never Be Clean Again”

Part 26 – The Roads We Travel

Lucy She understood why the bus stop was so far away. It technically supported the tiny community of Blackstone. But surely Crossroads Convenience made more sense as a drop-off point. “Our friggin’ staff nearly outnumbers that little shithole, anyway,” Lucy said between wheezy breaths. She was young but hardly an athlete. This long walk, especiallyContinue reading “Part 26 – The Roads We Travel”

Part 25 – A Zero-Sum Game

Tom Tom rested both his hands against the oddly sticky counter and leaned forward into a deep lunge. It was going to be a long night; he’d woken up stiff and tired, and no amount of stretching was limbering up those tense muscles. Something about the turning seasons always did this to him. Spring amblingContinue reading “Part 25 – A Zero-Sum Game”

Part 24 – The Hitchhiker

Jon The long nights weren’t the worst of it. Work had never been an issue for Jon. He was raised hard and hearty by parents who meant well but pushed him. It wasn’t the poor pay or the disrespect either. Neither of those means much to a man nearing the end of his rope. No,Continue reading “Part 24 – The Hitchhiker”

Part 23 – Burning the Evidence

??? It was almost a shame. The car was in perfect condition. It drove well. It cut a fine figure, even in the low light of the morning. Hell. it had fewer miles on it than his did, and the back seat looked far more comfy that what he was used to. He looked inContinue reading “Part 23 – Burning the Evidence”

Part 22 – Passing Time

Hayden “Well, that was a wash,” Hayden said, throwing his bag into the corner of his bachelor apartment. The worst part of being poor in a small community was how hard it was to hide. He tried to look his best and dress well, but there was only one apartment building in Hermit’s Rest, andContinue reading “Part 22 – Passing Time”

Part 21 – Spilled Tea

Hayden Hayden walked into the store through the front doors. Like a customer would. Years working here, and he still didn’t have a key to the back door. If he had any options, he’d find a new job. ‘If’ being the operative word. Hayden tussled his straight black hair. He didn’t have time to showerContinue reading “Part 21 – Spilled Tea”

Part 20 – Singing to the Moon

Peter After leaving the convenience store, Peter made his way to the car. The new attendant seemed like a good kid. She clearly didn’t know anything about music, but she had humored him. Most people didn’t humor him. They usually tried their best to get him to shut up. Get him to stay on track.Continue reading “Part 20 – Singing to the Moon”

Part 19 – All the Time in the World

Kat And then she was alone. Kat stood behind the counter of an empty store, staring out the window and into what felt like the depths of space. She could see the well-lit gas pumps, but beyond them, a void stretched out into eternity. She was adrift. Kat pulled her phone out to check theContinue reading “Part 19 – All the Time in the World”

Part 18 – All Red

Kat Tomato sauce splashed as a ladleful fell onto a pale crust. She spread it, suddenly reminded of her own face, and how red it must have been. Kat tried to focus on the task at hand. She had an order of four medium pizzas to get into the large industrial oven, so she didn’tContinue reading “Part 18 – All Red”