I have uploaded the novella "Alison Gross" into a new, forthcoming section of the website that will be devoted to my Bordertown novellas and short-story-scraps. Part of the fun working on this is discovering that the universe can see into my mind and sends me images that are out of the novellas.
"Thursday night. Sara took a deep drag off her cigarette and then laid it down on the edge of a tin ashtray. She held the smoke in her throat, let it settle in her chest, and then exhaled slowly through her nose. Wreathed in blue smoke, she closed her eyes, relishing the heavy smell and pleasant burn of tobacco. She opened her eyes again and leaned into the mirror to finish her makeup. Her brown eyes appeared larger from the generous amounts of kohl drawn on the lids, and black mascara stretched the lashes impossibly long and stiff. The full lips were painted a bright coral that stood out against her olive skin. Fairy dust brushed on her cheeks and forehead shimmered as she tossed back long black curly hair...."
"Outside the Dancing Ferret a small crowd of skaters occupied a corner of the street, skateboards flying off the curb and up the wall of the club as riders practiced free-styling. Bogans, dressed alike in loose black pants, and suspenders crisscrossed over dyed undershirts, were fighting with Khandromas for wall space. Bad Boy tried out a new move. Slamming his board high against the wall of the Ferret, he jumped up to meet it and then rode it down at a ninety-degree angle to the street.
"That's sick, man!" shouted Bonehead, and pushed his porkpie hat farther back from his skinny face."
"Hah! Standing still!" retorted Tina. "Dig this, Khandroma-style," and she nodded to Sweetie and B-Good at her side. Tina was dressed all in red. Even her shaggy mohawk was dyed red to match the crimson jacket she wore. At her side Sweetie's colors were blue, from the turquoise hightops to her cobalt-spiked hair. B-Good wore emerald green shorts, and a zigzag of green painted across her face. In unison they attacked the wall, using their feet to push their skateboard up the wall while they braced their hands on the ground in a handstand. Legs up high on the wall, they swiveled their hips and feet, twisting the skateboards and driving them downward again. As the wheels connected with the street, their hands pushed off the ground and righted themselves, crouched over their skateboards. They straightened up smiling as they coasted away from the wall."
*Some of the skaters pictured here are well known. I am trying to get all the names --but for now, second from the top of the skaters is Mark Gonzales (AKA Gonz), and first among the Khandroma is Lacey Baker. Second Khandroma is Laurie Bond.
