When you ain’t got enough money to eat when you want to, cigs keep the hunger at bay.
Lester – “Friday, Payday”
Seven Short Stories is a collection of short stories from the grind of the work commute, to depression born from a terrible marriage.
Phantom Visions
The one question everyone asks when they see Davey: “Why did you cut off your hand?”
Davey knows why but he won’t tell. But on the anniversary of his wife’s death, he relives that tragic day, and what he did with that same hand that’s now missing.
The Work Commute
A narrator describes their work commute through the course of a work week.
Each day the narrator describes how their work commute differs, the body language of the other commuters, why coworkers wish to get into car accidents, how the weather affects people’s moods, and why it’s futile to work for the weekend.
Friday, Payday
Lester works in a convenience store on the second shift (3pm to 12am). On Friday, a payday, he narrates how his shift goes, along with describing the various customers coming into the store to cash their checks.
As the day passes, Lester wonders about life as he restocks beer, talks to this coworkers, and hopes he doesn’t get caught in the rain after work.
I Don’t Want To Die
Grandma, who is in her 80s, doesn’t like getting old. Her mobility is severely decreased, and she has various pains and poor eyesight.
Jessica, the granddaughter, describes the last last years of Grandma’s life as she helps her mom, Linda, take care of her. During this, Jessica wonders why Grandma hates her wheelchair and who will take care of her when she becomes old.
You Don’t Want To Be Me
As the saying goes: “Never meet your heroes.”
Vicky Alexander, a technology journalist, interviews one of her icons, Angela Johnson, a successful startup founder turned venture capitalist.
During the interview, Vicky discovers the woman she admires greatly doesn’t match her impression, causing the interview to take a disastrous turn.
I’m In Love!
An office romance between Alan and Cindy intrigues the other employees. The pair spends much time around each other in the office, watching videos together during lunch.
Cindy loves Alan and hopes they will become a couple one day. However, Alan is in love with another woman he met on an online dating app.
When Alan goes through an emergency and needs helps, Cindy steps in and saves him. She hopes her actions shows Alan how much she loves him but will he?
The Essentials
A disease ravages the country, causing the states to create a law forcing all Non-Essential people to stay home to work and attend school. However, the world must continue to run so the government creates a new class of workers: The Essentials.
Bartholomew Kinsey is one of these workers. The story follows him as he works through his shift as a Grocery Pickup & Delivery Technician, dealing with the mental stress of social isolation, questioning the government’s actions, and unsure of the medical community and the drug companies working to cure the disease.