A Couple More Stops
Ralph Waldo Emerson was certainly onto something when he said, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” But then again, in ‘Out in the Sticks’ by Kevin Sandefur, the destination does loom pretty large on the horizon.
In this honourable mention for our 2021 Hummingbird Flash Fiction Prize, we journey to the end of the line — and meet some memorable folks along the way.
And, speaking of journeys, why not take a trip through the landscape of flash fiction and enter the 2022 Hummingbird Flash Fiction Prize, opening May 1st? The destination for this adventure is a top prize of $300 and publication in Pulp Literature!
For now, hop aboard the literary express, and enjoy this excerpt from Issue 33, Winter 2022.
Out in the Sticks
by Kevin Sandefur
The first thing I notice is the heat. I can’t remember why I ever thought it was a good idea to live in a desert town. There’s no such thing as dry heat when your clothes are drenched in sweat.
The bus stop has a shelter, but the canopy doesn’t offer much shade, the Plexiglas just magnifies the sun, and of course there are no trees, not in the desert. There’s an old man waiting with me. He’s so old that I’m surprised he can walk around without help, but there he is, standing straight and tall and proud, still independent. He’s wearing a suit and tie, and I can’t imagine how he stands it.
The bus comes around the corner, and the old man asks if this one is ours. I tell him yes, it has to be, because it’s the only bus that comes down this street, and it goes all the way out of town, all the way out into the sticks, and that’s where I need to go.
To find out what happens next, pick up your copy of Issue 33, Winter 2022 today!
For you chance to appear in the magazine and on the blog (and to win $300!), enter the 2022 Hummingbird Flash Fiction Prize, opening May 1st!
For all the details, and to enter, visit the contest page.
Kevin Sandefur currently works as Capital Projects Accountant for the Champaign Unit 4 School District. His stories have appeared (or are forthcoming) in aftermath, Sunlight Press, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, and the Bath Flash Fiction anthology Restore to Factory Settings. His story ‘Floaters’ received an honourable mention in our 2021 Raven Short Story Contest and will appear in Issue 35. He lives with his wife and two cats in Champaign County, Illinois, which is a magical place where miracles happen almost every day and hardly anyone seems to find that remarkable.
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