Broken Bits

By A.R. Dern

How diabolical can two old friends catching up be? Who might the people around you on that train really be and can a stranger's wisdom be the difference between life and death? Broken Bits is a gathering of weird and fiendish narratives, equally disconcerting at the stroke of midnight and the cold light of day.

Tearaways - Two young women on a cross-country crime-spree, a little boy and his guardian and a bored clerk find themselves at odds on a desolate desert highway.

Moonshine - In these chaotic times, is abstinence the best policy.

Not With a Bang - Two old acquaintances meet one last time, but for who?

Pecking Order - Something dangerous prowls the hills surrounding the city, but the streets contains predators of their own.

Things Lost and Found - If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise...or two.

Marks - A fateful encounter on a train will determine the fate of more than one person tonight.

Elsenwick - How far will one aspiring actor go to be the star of the show?

The Foreman - Putting in a shift at this factory can be murder.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.R. Dern
• Release date: Nov 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005830489

A.R. Dern

A.R. Dern lives in the rainy north of England, with a majestic view that looks exactly like you think it does.He has eclectic tastes in books, movies, comics and music and reads far too much on recommendation.Other interests include working as an adult community nurse and failing miserably to learn to draw hands.

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Broken Bits

Edited by A.R. Dern

Text Copyright A. R. Dern © 2021

All Rights Reserved

Book Design by A. R. Dern

Smashwords Edition

Permission line for other incorporated copyrighted material

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

This file is licensed for private individual entertainment only. The book contained herein constitutes a copyrighted work and may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into an information retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electrical, mechanical, photographic, audio recording, or otherwise) for any reason (excepting the uses permitted to the licensee by copyright law under terms of fair use) without the specific written permission of the author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TEARAWAYS

MOONSHINE

NOT WITH A BANG

PECKING ORDER

THINGS LOST AND FOUND

MARKS

ELSENWICK

THE FOREMAN

Tearaways

Sorry, I did not see you there.

A tall, pale lady in a plastic mackintosh and a lemon-yellow headscarf tries to bustle past me as I try on sunglasses in the tiny mirror on the revolving rack. Sure, it's night-time, but Naomi is taking beyond forever in the bathroom. I turn and see the little boy stood outside the door of the all-night gas-stop. He's cute. He has thick dark hair and the sweetest little suit with shiny little shoes. I figure he can't open it himself, so I shake my head at what I'm guessing is his mom and stride across the store's tiled floor, my heels clacking loudly.

Come on sweetie, I say to the kid, struggling with the stiff door. The little boy looks up at me with big, soulful eyes and runs to the lady that interrupted my private fashion show. Realizing what happened, Headscarf looks at me from under a shawl and talks in some kind of weird European accent.

I'm sorry. He sometimes goes where he shouldn't and does not go where he should. He is learning.

I pop a Bubbilicious bubble and look at her over the glasses I think I've settled on without saying a word. The kid heads to the counter with his mom. She tries to pay in cash quickly, I guess but the guy behind the counter is trying to sell her rosemary beads and air fresheners to go with her gas, so the kid wanders off bored again. I think Ellie coming out of the bathroom caught his interest.

The little boy just stands in front of Naomi and looks up at her.

What the hell is this? Naomi complains loudly.

The lady at the counter is still distracted by the assistant and his sales pitches.

Don't you think he's adorable? I say, pouting at the boy.

Kids creep me out, says Naomi dismissively. What the fuck anyway Ellie, you're supposed to be shutting people out.

I step around the racks or oil and car wax and bend down to get face-to-face with the kid.

But I couldn't say no to this little guy, I say in a cutesy monster growl. The kid giggles and I realize the chit-chat by the counter has stopped and I figure the assistant is looking over at my ass. I stand slowly and mutter to Naomi. Thanks for using my name though, asshole.

Oh, please don't get too close, he…has the cold… The lady sounds genuinely worried.

Nobody gets hurt, right? I warn Naomi.

Struggling with her oversized shoulder bag, Naomi pulls out the Springfield XDS and pushes past me.

Get the fuck out of here, she yells at the older lady. She looks pretty freaked and sweeps up the kid before rushing out to the forecourt. I notice then that there's only our stolen Nissan out there but before I can figure out where the two went, my attention is drawn back to the scene inside the store where to clerk is arguing with Naomi.

Screw you little girl. You know how many guns I see pass through here every day? They don't worry me and neither do you.

Naomi slams the butt of the gun against the plexiglass that stands between her and the assistant. She notices his name badge and snarls at him.

Listen, Miguel, Naomi snarks, what do you care? Your bosses left you out here in the middle of nowhere. Ain't nothin' but pitch-black nothin' one way and a whole lotta jack-shit the other. Would they even know you're dead by the end of the week if I put one between your eyes? Shit, I might anyway, jus' `cause of all the trouble you're givin' us.

Miguel looked a little less certain now. I carried on chewing my gum. We only had the one gun between us so I couldn't do anything but stand around looking cute.

It was then Miguel's attention was taken away from us. I followed his eyeline to a TV by the cash register.

Oh, I'm sorry, I yelled. Are we boring you?

It's you, he stammered.

I went to the counter and Miguel helpfully turned his little portable television so I could see. Footage from earlier in the day showed Naomi and me high-tailing it from a Circle-K. There's more footage of a guy on the ground, blood all around him on the sidewalk. I think back and remember that some dude did get tangled up with us on the way out and Naomi's gun did go off, but I didn't figure we'd hit anybody.

That's right you A-hole, it's us, Naomi came back, rolling with it. See, we ain't afraid to get nasty so hurry up and make with that cash.

Outside, Naomi is laughing her ass off. We trot across the concrete as fast as our heels will let us and screech out of the forecourt. It's all been fun and games so far, but I'm getting a bad feeling, like we're pushing our luck.

Can that be it now? I plea with Naomi.

What? Naomi squeals, gripping the steering wheel and peering out into the night. You flaking on me?

I cross my arms, sulking.

This wasn't the deal Naomi. One robbery you said, just to get enough money to get us to the festival and party. We coulda just got guys to buy us drinks you know?

Naomi shakes her head.

You wanna spend a whole weekend grinding your ass against frat boy crotch just to get a shot at a keg? Forget that Ellie, we're going on our own terms. I just wanted to make sure we had enough to not be dependent on anyone else, see?

Well no more, I demand. We'll already be lucky not to end up in jail before anyone realizes we're even gone.

Would you stop already? Naomi mocks. We're home fr…

Naomi scrams as the car hits something that is sent flying beyond the glare of the headlights. The car comes to a violent, screaming stop and Naomi looks like she's going to either puke or explode. I'm shaking so bad I can barely co-ordinate well enough to open the door, but eventually I get out of the