Always Such a Quiet Street

A young man finds daily walks along quiet streets enjoyable and rewarding—until he’s forced to stop a threatening gunman.

Ryan, a college senior, has chosen to live away from campus to help prepare himself for a “rough and tumble” life outside the university’s protective cocoon. He just wasn’t expecting his neighborhood strolls to get him mixed up in a death threat.

He jumps into action to prevent harm to Lucy, a young woman only a half dozen years older than himself. As a result, he ends up handling the semi-automatic pistol himself. Shaken by the incident, he steers clear of the street he once thought so peaceful.

Avoiding involvement works well until Ryan happens to cross paths with Lucy at the grocery store. She wants to thank him for saving her life, so invites him to a Saturday night dinner. Despite his misgivings, he accepts.

Lucy likes fine food, and she has an appetite for a kind of justice that puts Ryan to the test.

About 10,100 words