The Mercy Seat

By Alex Ankrom

A new short story by Alex J Ankrom.

In this psychological thriller, a man must confront the sins of his past in order to find salvation.

Open three small boxes.

That's all Dwight Clanton needs to do in order to find salvation. Open them, and he will learn why he finds himself chained to a chair, sitting across from his captor.

Can Dwight Clanton survive The Mercy Seat, or will he find himself in a darker nightmare?

Alex J Ankrom was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He earned two degrees from Boston University: a BA in Political Science & Philosophy and an MFA in Creative Writing. He also has an MFA in Screenwriting from The American Film Institute. He has been a semifinalist in the Final Draft Big Break Contest and the Nicholl Fellowship. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alex Ankrom
• Release date: Jul 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301472307

Alex Ankrom

Alex J Ankrom was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He earned two degrees from Boston University: a BA in Political Science & Philosophy and an MFA in Creative Writing. He also has an MFA in Screenwriting from The American Film Institute. He has been a semifinalist in the Final Draft Big Break Contest and the Nicholl Fellowship. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Book preview

The Mercy Seat

A Short Story

by

Alex J Ankrom

The Mercy Seat: A Short Story copyright 2013 by Alex J Ankrom

Cover Photo copyright 2013 by Lyddia Ankrom

Cover Designed by Maxwell Michael Towson

Smashwords Edition

The Mercy Seat: A Short Story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imaginations or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the express written permission of the author.

The twinkle of metal awoke Dwight Clanton from his nightmare, the same nightmare that he’s had for the past three years. His head lay on something cold and hard in a pool of his own sweat, matting his thinning hair to the side of his face. His skull ached. He felt pressure behind his eyes. Great he thought the first signs of a migraine. A familiar feeling that only served to remind him of the bad lost days, the time when a hangover was just something he had to deal with.

He thought he had fallen asleep at his desk again, but when he reached to brush the hair from his forehead, he realized he woke up in something much worse than his nightmare.

His wrists were cuffed to a table by a long sturdy chain that was held down by a stainless steel eye-loop. The metal bit into his skin as through it were a dull razor. He couldn’t see the chain in the dark, but he could hear the metallic click and clack as he moved his arms. The only reason he could see the eye-loop was that a small streak of light from under the door reflected off its polished