Sam Hill

By Pete Bellisano, Jr

Sam lost his job and is slowly losing his mind. His wife is increasingly aggravated by his behavior which has become lethargic and irrational. For Sam, the line between reality and daydreams becomes blurred as he wanders back-and-forth between the two worlds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pete Bellisano, Jr
• Release date: Jan 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463486740

Book preview

Sam Hill

by Pete Bellisano

How much weight do you think you've gained, she barked at him. You can't continue to sit around watching TV all day while I support you. Can you at least pause that stupid movie when I'm talking to you?

Huh? Yeah, okay. What's up, he mumbled after pressing the pause button in the remote that seemed to never leave his hand.

Although he knew exactly what Gary Cooper was going to do next, he still couldn't take his eyes off the image of Cooper as Marshal Will Kane. The freeze-frame caught Cooper just as he set his jaw, squared his shoulders and prepared to face his destiny. Now that's a hero, he thought. Tall and lean, with a look of stern determination. Totally committed to doing the right thing. Willing to face danger alone and live up to his principles despite seemingly insurmountable odds. His wife slammed her purse on the table, rousing him from his reverie. Are you listening to me, she shrieked.

Yeah, I know. I gotta get a job, he replied, hoping to placate her enough that she’d leave him alone.

It's been six months! Okay, so you got laid off. I know that was a big blow but come on! You can't continue to live like a freaking zombie. Have you even turned on the computer lately? Have you done a resume?

Wow, she's particularly shrill this morning, he thought. Isn't she going to be late for work? I'll get on that today. Soon as this movie is over, he said. She sighed, shook her head, and angrily snatched her purse from the table. She opened her mouth as if to say more but realized she was out of words. She wanted to scream How many times can you watch High Noon but realized she was running late and had no time to repeat the argument. Her shoulders slumped; her chin fell to her chest. She stood, deflated for a moment before turning and heading for the door without another word. He turned his head to glance at the door then breathed a sigh of relief before pressing the play button, on which his thumb had been resting ever since pausing the movie.

***

As the credits rolled after the movie's climactic scene, Sam switched to the cable station he'd recently found. Nothing but westerns on this channel, twenty-four/seven. Couldn't go a day without seeing at least two movies featuring John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Randolph Scott, or Jimmy Stewart. In between