The Mortar

“Captain Stevens you normally don’t get so upset by attacks, what’s under your skin?” Sergeant Cordova asked in a mock-respectful tone.

“I was watching 1408,” I responded.

“The horror movie with Matthew Broderick?”

“It was John Cusack, but yes.”

“It’s based on the Stephen King story?"

“Yes.”

“Alone, at night, in Iraq?”

“Yes.”

“A few life tips, Sir... don’t give your ex-wife the keys to your Camaro, don’t dismount after getting hit by an unknown attacker, and the most important...”

“What’s the most important thing?”

“Don’t watch a horror movie alone, at night, in Iraq, with all due respect...Sir.”

From Guest Contributor Terry Brunt

Running In The Rain

The skies open up and unleash a deluge, but this does not deter him. If anything, it only pushes him harder, as he longs to move with superhuman speed and avoid every single drop of rain entirely. His body falters, his breath heavy. He thinks of himself as a cross between Steve Prefontaine and yet another umbrella-less John Cusack character. Is he running from or chasing something? Does it matter? Either way, in the end, he still has to go home and face his broken heart alone. And that is something he isn’t ready to do, so he keeps moving.

From Guest Contributor Dan Slaten