Gregory Ashton set out alone from his apartment in Mar Vista, California for an extended walk. It was spring in the year 20–, and Gregory needed exercise. His doctor had recently diagnosed him as ... [+]
Broken Nights, Shattered Glass
Bob Thurber is the author of six books. Over the years his work has received a long list of awards and been anthologized 60 times. He resides in Massachusetts. www.BobThurber.net "Broken Nights, Shattered Glass" originally received 3rd prize in a Flash Fiction contest. It is now a part of Short Edition's series, The Current.
Originally published in Flash Fiction
Straight out of high school Mick's uncle landed Mick and me second-shift jobs at a textile factory. I asked Mick what the company manufactured. Gigantic rolls of something, he said. From three until midnight his uncle calibrated machines and repaired any that broke, while Mick and I hauled cartons of braid from the loading dock. The big machines sucked in the braid like giants slurping spaghetti, while high above dozens of spools and bobbins intertwined fibers, crisscrossing with one another.Most nights, after work, we walked straight to the east side and grabbed a booth at the International H