Tools of the Trade (Episode 5 in Scenes of Winter)

By Chris McAuliffe

Michael Worthington's warmup for basketball tryouts derailed by Austin Browning, Gregory's older brother. During an impromptu boxing lesson, Austin tells Michael that he needs to rip out the brain barrier that's holding him back from punching something, and all that takes is practice. Tempted by the allure of primal power, Michael's disturbed that such a transformation would render him capable of hitting someone like third-grader Gregory. Tryouts are cancelled. Michael and Austin are joined by roughhousing boys decrying the reports of Eric Singer's death by casting suspicions on Julie Creggan's motives with all of the tact of U.S. Senators questioning Anita Hill or Christine Blasey Ford

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris McAuliffe
• Release date: Aug 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463046678

Chris McAuliffe

I'm a long-time resident of Windsor, CT living with Cheryl, who I've known since first grade and been in love with since senior year in high school. We've raised three children: Aaron, Kay and Rose. Raised three children? That's a vast understatement. Together, these four people have given me experiences and insights which have continually redefined how I see myself and the world I live in.Job-wise, I'm a retired mechanical engineer who designed and developed a specific type of machine used in an aircraft system which few are aware of, but all air travelers depend on. At its best, the job was creative and rewarding and payed the bills. At its worst, it’s something I'm grateful to never have to do again. And now I get to write every day!So call me Chris. I use he/him pronouns. I'm a cis-gender heterosexual white upper-middle-class male who respects the power of labels, the freedom of no one to be limited by them, and my own evolving ignorance.

Book preview

Tools of the Trade

Scenes of Winter: Episode 5

Copyright 2019 Chris McAuliffe

Published by Chris McAuliffe at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Notes on Scenes of Winter

Summary of Earlier Episodes

Tools of the Trade

About the author

Other books by the author

Connect with the author

Acknowledgements

Learning about writing has been a never-ending quest, and I would have long ago been lost without the companionship and education provided by the Northern Connecticut Writers Workshop and the Windsor Writers Critique Group. Thank you all.

Special thanks for help on this short story to Sarah Gilligan, Annalisa Deal and Kay McAuliffe.

Cover art provided by Tom McAuliffe (Contact at @mcletters or mcletters.co)

Notes on Scenes of Winter

Scenes of Winter is a fictional work of linked short stories inspired by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's 2018 hearings on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. This story is not about the hearings, but focus on how the issues raised--sexual violence, gender roles, racial biases and classism, competition versus cooperation--intersect in our day-to-day lives.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Summary of Earlier Episodes

Where’s Julie? (Scenes of Winter: Episode 1)

Twenty-six-year-old Julie Creggan has been out of sorts for days. Eric, her boyfriend and two years her junior, has a vague