Hello, and welcome to the twelfth issue of
Tales from Snippettsville
, Short Stories From A Small Town.
[Laurel - please insert here 'SnipTales.jpg' - sent by Alex March 9]
If you want to know what it's all about, go to
Snippettsville Group
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Contents of Issue 12
There's Always A Welcome At The Showboat Hotel
by Max Sebastian
Reconstruction
by Rhinoguy
Later ...
by Alex de Kok
Dor
by PierceStreet
Illustrations
Banner, (c)Quasimodem, 2003
Header Picture, (c)Alex de Kok, 2003
Footer Picture, (c)Perdita, 2003
Now read on...
* * * * *
There's Always A Welcome At The Showboat Hotel
by
Max Sebastian
It must have been that last trucker I hitched a ride with. Seemed nice enough, but when I nodded off he must've reached inside my jacket and swiped my wallet. So here I was, in a small town called Snippetsville without a cent on me.
They seemed sympathetic in Hannah's Diner on North Main Street - I was given some tasty cherry pie and the use of a telephone. But it turned out it was going to take three days for my credit card company to courier a new card to me.
"Where am I going to stay for three nights without money?" I demanded of the poor credit card people through the phone, as if they could help.
As I put the phone down, I realised I had caused quite a scene for this quiet, small-town establishment.
"Hey, why don't you try the Showboat Hotel?" an old guy said to me as I took a sip of coffee to still my nerves. "Old Bob Cassidy always offers strangers a bed for the night if they're in trouble."
So here I was, at the Showboat Hotel three blocks away. Not a bad looking place, actually, a low profile but clean enough.
"Sure, I can give you a room, sir," old Bob smiled. He seemed all right. "I always like to help out those in trouble, like yourself."
I let out a sigh of relief. "I was beginning to think I'd be sleeping on the street tonight. But I can pay you once I get my card through - "
"No need, sir." he said as he turned and picked a room key off one of the rows of pegs. "I'll even offer you some supper tonight, sir." Small town hospitality, you can't beat it! "But you'll have to do something for me in return, sir."
Ah, here it came. No such thing as a free lunch.
Well, sitting eating my "free" supper, I felt a little strange, a little weak, shaken. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe I'd agreed to it. I'd never done anything like this before. Bob gave me some red wine with my meal, and I needed it to boost my nerve.
My heart was in my throat as I approached the door, knocked, and unlocked it. What would she be like? Would she like me? What if we didn't 'click'? I was terrified.
"Hi," the girl said as I entered, she was just as wary as I was at first.
She was, frankly, gorgeous. I couldn't believe it. Was this really going to happen? She was younger than me, brunette, pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way. She was, she explained, hitching across the States before starting college in Berkeley next month.
"I lost my wallet the last ride I took," she said, and the resemblance of her story to my own struck us both.
"So are we going to go through with this?" I asked.
"We don't have any other choice," she said, making me gasp as she suddenly pulled off her blouse, revealing exquisite, shapely little breasts confined within a pink cotton bra.
"But they're watching – you can see the cameras!"
"So? I'm not sleeping out in the street," she insisted, approaching me now with a real glint in her seductive eyes. "Besides, I've never made love while somebody watched before – might be kind of hot, don't you think? And with such a handsome stranger…"
"I guess…" I stammered as she undid my belt and pulled down my jeans.
"Mmm…" she purred, stroking my hardness. "Looks like we're in for quite a night!"
* * * * *
Reconstruction
by
Rhinoguy
Dust billowed from the back window of the brick building on the corner of Main Street. A haze of powdered plaster evenly coated the van and U-Haul trailer parked next to the enormous roll-off dumpster. A few dozen orange and brown maple leaves danced in solitary joy over the gravel.
Kate peeked through the storefront glass of the former Pharmacy. She could make out the figure swinging a sledge, the subsequent burst of plaster dropping to the floor and the cloud rising up. Kate held the neck of a chilled beer bottle and knocked at the door. No response. Trying the handle, the door swung open. "Hello! Would you like a break?". The motion in the middle of the rubble stopped. "Hello?" His voice was deep and muffled by the respirator.
"Hi....pleased to meet you." He stretched out his hand while pulling off breathing gear. "I'm Nathanial, what can I do for you?".
"Ummm....I thought you might like a break" she repeated trying not to look at his heaving chest, sweat covered, powdered and sprinkled like an obscene pastry. He was filthy, but looked so tasty. She reached out with the wet bottle.
Nathanial took the bottle, "Thank you, that's very thoughtful," he looked directly her as he spoke and realized she'd been staring at his bare chest. He set the bottle on a crate and quickly pulled on a shirt, snapping Kate out of her daze. "Ah...well....not SO thoughtful, there are any number of 'inquiring minds'... I suppose I am on a bit of a reconnaissance mission, sorry my name is Kate".
"Kate, Kate Bond 007?" he laughed.
"Ha...actually Kate McKennsie, no number." She looked at her feet to keep from staring. He wasn't handsome. He was thrilling. Was he in his 30's or 40's? How gray was his goatee once the plaster was washed out?
"Well, I'll be happy to spill the 'dirt', as there seems to be plenty of it." He smiles and gestures at the destruction. "Come on let's get you out of all this dust and I'll divulge my secrets." He turned to the stairs.
Kate grabbed the bottle "you forgot your beer."
"Ah...thank you..actually I don't drink beer."
"Oh, sorry," Kate blushed.
"S'okay," he replied. "I never liked the stuff, help yourself to it." Kate just kept an eye on his jean-clad butt as they made their way up to the second floor.
"Well, have a seat," Nathanial gestured to a pair of overstuffed armchairs near the front bay window. "Let the interrogation begin," he laughed.
"Alright, what brings you to Snippetsville?.........LIAR!" Kate laughed.
Nathanial's eyebrows shot up, his eyes opened wide, then he laughed loud and long. "Ok..ok...I'll tell you everything!"