On "Breakdown" by Joshua Citrak (2643 words) ***

The way I read Citrak's story is that it's one of those subtle ones that end just as the story is beginning. What I mean is we get the setup for the real trouble that's brewing to happen after the story ends. In "Breakdown" just about everything that could go wrong on a road trip does--because a vehicle seems absolutely unwilling to cooperate. But there's also something naive about the stories' characters that Citrak exploits, as if they are a vehicle that's never had troubles before that is about to crash. Read the story here at Stirring.