by Cole Savage
Studying the photo, what caught Nicki’s eyes was the hand-written text, done in a black Sharpie, at the bottom of the I.D badge. Written on the vinyl, Eyes on the prize. She covered her mouth and turned the photo over. On the back of the badge, composed with several different colored Sharpies, Kyle had written, Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1/02, 1/03, 1/04, 1/05, 1/06, 1/07, 1/08, 1/09, 1/10, and each symbol had a diagonal line across it, except for 1/11. Of course, it was fall so January had not arrived yet. But 1/05 was of particular interest to Nicki, because Kyle had written, in green ink, FUCK!! over it. She shifted her eyes to the bottom of the badge, and close to the edge of the vinyl sleeve, Kyle had written, Patience is a virtue, but it was crossed out in red, and it had the word sucks over the word. The photo, and the content of the text hit her like a breaking wave. She brought the photo to her lip and the tears came like a flood. Crying, she covered her face and her body shook violently. The inebriated man staggered over and knocked on her window. She reacted violently by pounding her fists on the driver’s side window, screaming, “leave me the Hell alone.” The man, jolted by her reaction, fled, zig zagging his way to the back of the gas station. Nicki composed herself, sat rigidly on the driver’s seat, wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands, then she scrambled through her purse and pulled out the phone Kyle had given her, and without looking, she called Kyle.
To be continued
Finish the story with Nicki and Kyle by reading Raven’s Peak
CHASING UNICORNS
If you think you know where it’s coming from, and where it’s going— Think again. Things don’t always end the way we want. Sometimes events come around the corner so fast
they punch you in the mouth and leave you breathless. A stunning conclusion; a finale that will leave you stunned and leave a tear or two in your eyes. Nothing about Chasing Unicorns is inside the box. You will laugh, and you will cry. Is this a love story, or something deeper, more nefarious? Chasing Unicorns is a fifteen-thousand-foot freefall, so strap on a parachute because you won’t see the ground coming at a hundred miles per hour.