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Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice By Jij Berg Humming to herself Lilith, placed a crown of flowers on her head. Adjusting it carefully in the mirror, she was pleased with how the daffodils accentuated the purple and pink strands in her silver grey hair. With the latest fashion trends I don’t even need to dye her hair to blend with the youngsters, she thought with confidence. Her curls and concealer hid the crow’s feet around her eyes, she looked closer to thirty than forty. She hated looking old. Jinx jumped onto the sink, craving attention. She patted the black cat on the head and scratched behind the ears. “You have to stay home tonight,” she said. The cat swept one of her mascara tubes onto the floor. “Now, now,” she said, with an edge in her voice, and the cat slunk away into the living room. She pulled the red and black flannel shirt over her white top and rolled the sleeves up to her elbows. With worn jeans and sneakers, the look was complete. She turned and twisted and checked herself in the mirr...
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The Black Audi

The Black Audi By Jij Berg The interior of the black Audi was dark and cool. B kept the temperature just above ten degrees, enough to prevent the windows from fogging. He circled the outskirts of the city, looking for good lines of sight and potential routes the hunter might use. In the autumn night, the matte black station wagon with dark tinted windows was barely visible. B merged onto the highway circling the city, and smiled as he floored the gas pedal. The V8 roared as it passed five thousand RPM before shifting smoothly down to cruising speed. No need to take risks, he wasn’t in a rush. The cops could even pull him over, he had a valid european license. They wouldn’t find a reason to search the car. And even if they did, they wouldn’t find the gun compartment under the back seat, they had tried before. B took exit fifteen and after a few hundred meters on smaller roads he pulled into a parking lot next to a church. Parked beneath a tree, the car would be nearly invisible. B got o...
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The Steeplejack

The Steeplejack By Jij Berg He came from an era when nothing was impossible and humanity strived towards the sky. He was used to scaling great heights and looking down on sprawling cities. But now he was looking down on the train crash at the mouth of the underground station. A small group of strangers had formed a habit of looking at the spectacle every morning, gathering on the bridge crossing the tracks. They greeted each other with a “Good morning” when the weather was pleasant, a nod when it wasn’t, and sometimes just a sigh. They were all older men, except one short, grumpy looking man who was ancient. To pass the time, the others shared anecdotes from the past; he had no such memories. No recollections of family or friends. For him it was a blessing to live only in the here and now. Too many had died in his line of work; he was grateful to have forgotten their names, if only he had also forgotten their faces. They had similarities dressed in coats that had seen too many winters,...
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State Secrets

State Secrets By Jij Berg Exchange Their feet were sore, but Jan and Erik did not notice. They were comfortably drunk and distracted by a more pressing matter. The situation was familiar to them: the walking, the urgency, a pattern that repeated itself at dawn every Saturday morning. Today they were not too drunk to ride home. They simply could not find “their” bikes. Erik had also lost his suit jacket, but the breeze was warm and he had a new number in his phone. At a familiar tree, Jan veered off the path between two bushes and stumbled, planting his face in the soft, damp grass. Swearing silently, he looked back and saw Erik doubled over, clapping his knees. “I can’t take it anymore. Can’t we just do it here?” Erik laughed. “Quiet. We need to get out of the camping area first,” Jan hissed, checking for any sign of disturbance inside the tent connected to the rope he had tripped over. The tent was silent. Only the last persistent crickets could be heard. “I told you we should have go...
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