Heat Wave

Faceless voices and shadows outside the small room yield few clues as to the identity of his captors. When the door slams behind him he is naked, alone with his thoughts, a towel, one magazine, a dim overhead bulb and a crude wall-mounted thermometer. How long can he last before he breaks? The heat begins to rise. Better than waterboarding, he thinks.

One hundred and twenty degrees. Concentration becomes difficult. He pages through the magazine, a copy of Travel & Leisure. A cruel ploy, photos of exotic destinations, open spaces, and happy travelers, all reminders of his confinement in a four by-six-foot box. The heartbeat in his ears begins to pound.

 

One hundred and forty degrees. He attempts to add two 2-digit numbers. A test of his cognition. Sweat pours off his face, his arms, and down his shins. He hangs his head to keep the sweat out of his eyes. He gives up on the magazine when the glue binding melts, reducing the publication to a hundred loose pages. He tosses them aside.

To read the rest of this story and more than fifty others, please consider buying "Natural Selections," at Amazon.com.

😎

If you like fiction and you're in the mood for over 50 short stories, please consider buying "Natural Selections," at Amazon.com.

Or if you'd prefer seventy non-fiction stories inspired by a town in Illinois, please consider buying Park Ridge Memories also on Amazon. Click on the image below.