Mad River Madman

Bill, a Gulf War veteran who is living in a camper on the outskirts of Arcata (California, USA), gets some bad news on a gloomy morning in late winter of 2014. With no savings, he starts selling. Stress builds. Old demons re-emerge. Eventually, he is living somewhere not intended for human occupation. At an across-the-street watering hole, he meets an attractive lady, Charlene, who is down on her luck, too, though not anywhere as much as Bill. A unique cost-saving living arrangement ensues. But then, Bill disappears one December morning. Forty-eight hours later, Bill's fate is revealed to Charlene. 

Approx. 2,300 words.

If this tale were a movie, it would probably be rated PG-13, possibly G (ok for all ages).