DAWSON

By S.D. Merry

After years of disappointing his father, Bradley decides to take a risk and start over. Leaving his demons behind, Bradley moves to the small town of Disoldi where he finds exactly what he needs. With his new home, new job, and new girlfriend, something is still very wrong, something he can't put his finger on...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Jul 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662916380

Book preview

Chapter One

Riding the train, I thought of my father. It was hard to get away from him. Everywhere I went I saw one of his radios or television sets.

Communication is the future, and these will be the means of communication! he always said.

As a child I remember people saying, David’s a self-made man, a real go-getter.

Living with my father, I was never enough. I had big shoes to fill and failed to even get close enough to match their shadow.

My dad came from humble beginnings and created an empire out of nothing but his will and grit. He decided working as a farmer wasn’t enough for his ambitions and sold the family farm at the young age of twenty-four. Risking it all, my father rented out an old warehouse and converted it into a factory. That factory, better known as Stow’s Communications, became one of the largest manufacturers in New York.

My mother’s name was Elizabeth. I’m the only child because I’m the one who killed her. She died giving birth to me, and I think my father has never forgiven me for it. Never saying anything to me directly, but always dishing a distant sense of blame, I was shamed into solidarity.

He always supplied me with everything I needed in school or sports, and I never had a problem affording nice clothes or a nice car to drive. In fact, without my father’s reputation and wealth, I would have been a bigger loser than I already was.

Even with all my money, I barely graduated high school with my diploma. Grades were never easy for me because I hated school. It’s too slow. How can anyone stay focused and try so hard when it’s so structured? I wanted to do something for myself and create something from nothing, like my father.

The feeling of my father’s disappointed eyes, trying to avoid me, drove me insane. I had to leave as fast as I could and didn’t even tell him I was leaving. I guess I kind of ran off. He wouldn’t care anyway.

My pupils refocused on the upholstered seat in front of me as I shifted my attention. I didn’t want to think of my father anymore.

A woman’s voice rang through the cabin’s loudspeaker, Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Disoldi. I snapped back to reality.

The folks sleeping jumped a little in their seats and yawned while dramatically stretching out their legs. I prefered to watch out the window and observe the land. I never could sleep on trains.

The train stopped and released its horn over the station. It looked to be exactly what I pictured: the town sat in the valley of two bluffs and displayed sort of a quaint feeling. I assumed everyone here knew each other, so I’d be the new guy. It was key that I made a good first impression.

Before deciding to move to this east coast town, I ran into one of my old schoolmates, and he mentioned a new automobile factory had sprung up in Disoldi. He worked here for a summer job and rented out a small log cabin owned by the general store’s manager.

I hadn’t arranged my living situation yet, but I was banking on that cabin. I’m sure with a town of this size, it shouldn’t be too difficult to secure a place to live.

I sat and let everyone unboard the train. I hated standing in line while awkwardly holding socially acceptable positions. I exited and looked for someone to help me. Excuse me sir, can I ask you where to find the general store? I asked the man at the corner.

Follow Main Street down until you see the large red and white building. That’ll be it on the left, he said.

Moving with uncertainty, I observed the intricacies of the outskirts. Lush trees and