Genius

by Mickey Hunt

    Brad heaved what might be a truncated stainless steel water heater onto his table under the ancient live oaks.

    "Still peddling your miraculous apparatus?" Marquis said and plucked a dog-eared brochure from Brad's stack. "Looks dubious, old man. Hmm... Lead lining and rechargeable battery."

    "If I was a person of color like yourself..."

    "What? Bullscat. Everybody got a color."

    Cars swished by on the road. Breezy. Hot. Seagulls gliding overhead. Marquis stood behind his van, handing out bags of fresh shrimp and ice, taking in cash, improvising rhymes. Brad sagged in a chair at his tailgate while massaging the small of his back...

"Genius" (1090 words) was published at Stupefying Stories Showcase on March 25, 2015.  It was republished in March, 2016 and can also be read HERE at AntipodeanSF, based in Australia. 

The Cruller Twist

by Mickey Hunt
     A bright spring noon and there’s Nicole, sitting at the café table along the sidewalk. “Lauren!” she says and jumps up. “Wow. So glad you came. A wonderful reunion for my birthday.”

     We hug and I say, “You look so good, Nicole.”
     “You do, too.”
     “I can’t believe it’s been, how many? Five years since graduation?”
     “Yeah!” Nicole says. “We’re really looking forward to your concert tonight.”
     “My first in Asheville. Here’s a . . . Here’s a present for you. I hope it's not too big.”
     Nicole reaches into the decorative bag and lifts out a snowy white hoodie emblazoned with a Duke Blue Devil. “Perfect, it’s perfect!” she says, holding it up...

"The Cruller Twist" (956 words) a "literary" story, is available for publication. It was a finalist in the 2016 Neoverse writing competition. Read it HERE.