Thanks everyone who came to our open mike at the Press Room yesterday. We had a good time, and we really appreciate everyone's participation. We'll be having more of these in the coming months. So stay tuned!
This week, we have "Horny in Hancock" by Tom Dunn. Tom is a playwright who also writes fiction. His work has appeared in _New England Review_, _Sticks and Stones_, _Milkweed_, _Subtext_ and _Stasis_. Tom lives in Henniker, NH, where he runs a playwriting workshop, THE ALCHEMISTS.
Read on!
Horny in Hancock
“This time we’ve got to process ‘im, Martha.”
“Whose was it? Anyone know?”
“Yeup. Fraid everyone knows.”
“And?”
The boy’s grandmother looked at him. He was sitting next to Officer Winant, trying to ignore what the Officer was writing down by looking at a Lions Club flyer about the town.
“Cheryl Sprague’s.”
“She gonna press charges?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Is she or isn’t she!?”
“She is. She’s pretty upset.”
“I know Cheryl—known her Mom and Dad before they passed. What was you thinkin’ Jeremy? What got into your head.”
“We both know this isn’t the first time. He got lucky before. Just the Aucoin kids saw him. I thought we agreed if it never happened again that’d be the end of it.”
“I’m his grandma, Louie, not his jailer. He likes to wander…always has. There’s no way I can keep an eye on him.”
The Officer finished the form and stood up.
“Please sign here, Martha, and I’ll make you a copy.”
Martha signed and moved closer to Jeremy. Jeremy actually began to read the flyer—anything to avoid talking to her. It was so quiet they both could hear the Officer turn the little copier on in the hallway. It rattled while it was warming up.
“Jeremy?”
“In the shadow of Mount Monadnock, the village of Hancock was founded during the Revolutionary War. Its charm and authenticity are a result of Hancock always being a bit off the beaten path and without the booms in population and industry that have destroyed so many of New England’s most precious communities.”
“Jeremy!”
The boy didn’t look at her—just kept his eyes focused on the flyer he had read from. The copier began to make a more mechanical sound as the papers were copied.
“Mrs. Sprague’s dog!? How could you Jeremy!? How could you…”
“There is no need to recreate a historic village in Hancock – it’s still there! A walk down Main Street is like a walk down American history—every building is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places!”
Can anyone tell me if this is the Thomas Dunn that taught English 101 at Hesser College? I am trying desperately to find him and thank him for inspiring me to write my first book. Thank you!