Bloomsday

By Sean McKissack

Patrick Stephenson, who prefers to be called Stephen, suffers from secrets that prevent him from living the life he most desires. He reveals to Jennifer Steadman a lie her football-player boyfriend has told about her, never expecting she would turn her attentions to him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sean McKissack
• Release date: May 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463817650

Sean McKissack

I like to read and write about unique situations and take the road less traveled with my characters. A lot of my stories are based on real life situations, skewed just a bit to protect the innocent as well as the guilty parties involved. I devote a lot of my time to characters, usually fleshing out everything that could possible be said about them so they are almost like friends (or close acquaintances).

Book preview

I rose at dawn on that day.

The sun had not broken across the horizon, but there I was, stating at the rays as they rose out from behind the buildings and signs. It had taken forever to get here. It had taken a lifetime to get my parents to let me even go...but there I was, standing at the starting line...long before anyone would be there. Only a few hours later, the streets would be packed with thousands of people, of all walks of life, all in their forms of running attire: the professionals, the walkers, the couples pushing strollers --all surrounding me at first, but none would be able to hold me back.

On April 15th, at 8:55 AM, Sunday morning, I stoically stood at the front line and stared intently at the grueling course before me: seven point forty-six miles of winding roads, downhill scrambles and uphill climbs. Not a huge deal, I could handle it. I was on the football team...I could do whatever I put my mind to. The lack of proper training, bad shoes and a deformed heart would not stop me.

The canon rang off with a distant boom, signaling the start of the start and I was off at a quick and steady pace. I was part of a small pack of runners whose stride could never be broken. They held their heads high with the eternal look of victory on their faces. I was a part of that group. An un-official brotherhood of athletes who lived by a code--to do the best they could do with what God gave them and hope that the spaghetti throughout the past few weeks prove to give a carb rush.

I wanted to push on through and take the lead, but we were only on mile two of the race; too early to fire off the afterburners and too early to gloat that I had this race won with very little effort. No, it would be best to coast along with the others and wait for the chance to break the rank and file and burst on through.

The leaders took through the streets leading to Spokane Falls Community College like a leisurely stroll through the park. We prodded up the hill, showing a little pain, some hesitation but from the midpoint of Doomsday Hill I felt a second wind and decided to go for broke. To hell with it, I was going to finish this race or die trying.

I could feel my heart ache as I approached the home stretch. My mouth felt dry and I was so light-headed I might as well had been floating over the street with every step I took. I could see the finish line ahead...like I saw every night when I would dream about running that race…I’d never get to cross the finish line, it was