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Striking Sparks – a Psycop Novelette by Jordan Castillo Price
Psycop fans, here's a new novelette in the Psycop universe. Remember Crash, the occult bookshop employee? The bad boy who threatens to come between Vic and Jacob? He's back, and he's still a loose cannon. In this 29-page short story, an innocent named Andrew is having second thoughts about his impending wedding day. On page one, he's trying to find a parking spot in downtown Chicago so he can run in to see a palm reader before she leaves for the day.
Andrew arrives too late, and can only peer in the window of the palm reader's shop in frustration. But then Crash strolls up and introduces himself, coaxing Andrew into lighting a cigarette for him while he shields the lighter flame from the wind. Leave it to Crash to make the entire procedure highly seductive.
Before Andrew knows it, he's accepted an invitation to come into Crash's place for a cup of coffee. Or a shot of tequila. Or maybe something else. As Crash suggests to Andrew, "Did it ever occur to you that the last thing you need is a reading?"
This short story pivots on the point in a young man's life where it has the potential to change forever. You might expect comedy when it comes to Crash, but the story has a surprisingly poignant ending.
The writing is full of precise, quirky details that cut to a level deeper than just casual observation. For example, Crash hands Andrew the cover of a porn DVD. You might expect that it would show two men standing together. But the men are also staring "… at the camera with strangely neutral expressions. They looked like they were wearing lip gloss." Here at ObsidianBookshelf.com, I really enjoy this sort of vivid detail.
Also, Crash wears a jade ring the color of "… the sugared almonds that Meredith [Andrew's fiancée] had been bundling into tiny mesh bags all week. Two green, two blue, and a white, tied with a pale green bow and a pair of fake plastic wedding rings."
This is the kind of fine writing that lets you climb inside a story and experience total escapism. Try Striking Sparks; I think you'll like it.
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