You Had Me at “My Father Stood Loading His Gun”

I love it when I find a story I simply cannot turn away from reading, even when I think I should because I think I know where it’s going, and especially when I’m wrong and it takes me somewhere unexpected. Lucas Dean Fiser’s story in Pif Magazine had me at the title: “My Father Stood Loading His Gun,” and after this opening, I was spellbound:

“My father stood in my doorway holding his .45 caliber handgun. He leaned against the wood framework smoking a cigarette, loading the gun. Smoke circled his head like a halo, and I gently laid the book I was reading into the sheets. Every time he loaded a bullet you could hear the steel snap into the magazine. His mouth moved when he did this…”

Read the rest here. It’s not long to read, but be ready for it to stay with you for a while.