Summer's End

By Black Heart Magazine

October. In San Diego, it’s never really the end of summer, but according to my calendar Autumn officially began on September 22nd. So while the days slowly simmer to a close, and the nights get ever-so-stealthily longer, we’ve put together a collection of stories on the theme of “Summer’s End” to ease your transition into Fall.

In this collection you’ll find death and ice cream, children at play, a young woman who’s aging too quickly, strangely cursed houses, and more mysteries that take place on the last day of summer.

OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE: Friday, October 13th.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Buttontapper Press
• Release date: Oct 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370601707

Black Heart Magazine

Black Heart Magazine is an independent online literary magazine, transmitting tenacious text around the world at the speed of wifi. Since 2004, our site has been combating clichés and skipping straight to supercharged stories with a simple catchphrase: we heart art.We publish short fiction, poetry, indie book reviews, and a variety of creative nonfiction pieces, along with Susan Tepper's monthly "Let's Talk" column.Read our work online at BlackHeartMagazine.com.

Book preview

BLACK HEART MAGAZINE

SUMMER’S END

OCTOBER 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter From the Editor

The Last Photo Shoot of Summer – Paul Lewellan

Fireflies – Linda Birrane

Green Street – N.I. Mahmoud

Permanents – Jessica Bonder

I Am A Lucky Woman This Vernal Equinox Morning in Florida – Karla Linn Merrifield

The Last Day of Summer – Desmond Truscott

Denature – Carmen Barefield

Encryption – Martin Kleinman

A Silence About It – Gardner Dorton

Summer of Hope – Susan Emshwiller

Still the Summer – Robbin Farr

Balloon – Andrew Davie

Reflection: End of Summer – Robbin Farr

The Civet and the Drowning of Tokyo – T. Ben Bryant

Death and Ice Cream – Steve Carr

CONTRIBUTOR BIOS & PHOTO CREDITS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

October. In San Diego, it’s never really the end of summer, but according to my calendar Autumn officially began on September 22nd. So while the days slowly simmer to a close, and the nights get ever-so-stealthily longer, we’ve put together a collection of stories on the theme of Summer’s End to ease your transition into Fall.

In this collection you’ll find ice cream, children at play, a young woman who’s aging too quickly, strangely cursed houses, death, philosophy in funny places, far-off lands and familiar faces, tall tales and mysteries that take place on the last day of summer – or perhaps the last day on Earth itself.

Thanks for picking up a copy of our magazine, and let us know what you think! We’re always interested in reader feedback and ideas for the subjects of our future issues. We’re currently deciding on 2018’s themes, so give us a shout if you’ve got a good one to share. You can contact us on our website at blackheartmagazine.com, drop us a note on our Facebook page, or tag us on Twitter with your thoughts.

Cheers,

Laura Roberts – Editor-in-Chief,

Black Heart Magazine

THE LAST PHOTO SHOOT OF SUMMER

Paul Lewellan

Officer Tyler Sands was angry. After work he’d picked up Kat, his girlfriend, at the neighborhood association’s Summer’s End barbeque. Now, still in uniform, he was standing on the front porch of the last condo in the cul-de-sac. If I wanted sex with old broads, he told her, I’d go to a nursing home!

Lower your voice, Kat hissed. It’s only photos. Not sex.

Look, if some old broad makes a move on....

Allison Robertson opened the door wearing a beige dress with thin brown stripes and large brown buttons. Her cleavage was tasteful; her curves were ample, toned, and firm. Her auburn hair reached her shoulders. She held a pair of red stiletto heels in her hand. She waited a moment for Tyler to get a good look.

I’m Allison, she purred, extending her hand to shake his. The old broad. His face flushed. You must be Officer Sands.

It’s Tyler, he grinned. She had to be almost 50, but looked just fine. I’m off-duty.

Of course you are. Allison smiled. Tyler was 6’4 with close-cropped blond hair, a muscular build, and slender waist. Kat mentioned you’d be coming from the station. She touched Tyler’s arm. I’m so glad you could join us. You and Kat will be a nice addition to the our little ensemble. She motioned them in. They’re in the den with my husband."

Kat hesitated. Who else stayed?

Only Vivian and Mac, I’m afraid. The others backed out. They’ve decided that carefree summer is over, and along with it, any risk-taking. Allison took on a conspiratorial tone. They’re preparing to hibernate.

Vivian and Mac are harmless, Kat assured Tyler.

Vivian might surprise you, Allison warned as she led the young couple down the hall.

I can’t believe you sucked me into this, Tyler said, sotto voce.

I think you’ll find it amusing, Allison suggested. I’ve been modeling for my husband for a couple decades, and it never gets old.

You’ve been married 20 years? Tyler turned to Kat. We’ve known each other for....

Thirty-seven days, Kat said. Kat owned the condo four doors down from Allison and Walter. She’d moved in last June, three months ago, but had kept to herself all summer. We both served tours in Afghanistan, but didn’t meet until Tyler pulled me over for a traffic violation.

She got a lead foot, Tyler joked. Kat punched him in the arm. Ow! What was that for?

You know what it’s for.

Kat had been wounded by an IED and had lost her right leg below the knee. Few in the condo association knew about her prosthesis—the lead foot Tyler referred to. All they knew was that she walked with a limp and always wore slacks.

From his seat in the den Mac Franklin watched the new couple enter. He’d met Kat at the party. She was an intelligent and attractive woman, despite her frumpy choice of clothes. She’d worn a long-sleeved turquoise blouse and dark blue slacks to the barbeque, despite the summer heat. He wondered what she’d look like naked.

Mac was a lawyer and the condo association president, late thirties, a real go-getter. He had wavy brown hair, a short-cropped beard, and the beginning of a paunch.

Allison’s husband was pacing in the den, nervous before a cold shoot like this. Walter ran a chain of health food stories and served as the spokesperson in their television ads. He was in his mid-forties: tall, toned, and slender. He and Allison met at the Boston Marathon.

After Allison introduced the men, Mac motioned to the Rubenesque female emerging from the guest bathroom. This is a friend from the firm, Vivian McCloud. She was full-figured, with curly long brown hair, and a flawless face.

We’re both trials lawyers, Vivian clarified. We work cases together. We aren’t... Vivian started to say lovers. Never mind.

The law partners had been circling around each other ever