Pako Dunwhile

“Better Late Than Never ” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #125

[TW: references to violence] Ketia pulled the pin from the grenade in her shaking, blood-stained hand. She closed her eyes in the moonlight. The beast with twelve legs lunged for her. Better late than never, she thought. The explosive went off between them. Its sound carried for miles on the crisp air. Visceral matter blew away in all directions. Caspian lowered his monocular. Fuck, another one lost. That makes six. She was so close to the gates and offered so much potential. He climbed down from the observation tower and buzzed his ...

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“The Quietest Walk Home” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #125

Lakysha bumped into the suit holding a briefcase who decided to abruptly stop his forward progress without any warning. Goddam rude people in the train station, she thought. She looked up and down at the back of the man’s pinstriped office attire. The train station lost its chaotic background noise in a split second.“Excuse you,” she offered with attitude. She walked around him and caught a sneak glimpse at the electronic readout. 11:42. Four minutes until the train departs. At least I’ll get some good, home-cooked food soon. Her stomac...

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“Gretchen's Unfair Advantage” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #124

Gretchen peered down at the crisp parchment paper. The title read Hector Martinez Francisco Guerrero Personality Map. Her heart swooned at the name. The rest of the document listed in color-coded sections from gray to gold. Her eyes shuffled past the colored font and underlining. Gray, blue, yellow, and gold. The Notary saw the expected glow of her eyes. “Don’t you be reading too fast like all the others. Stay away from the gold until you know you’re ready to see who he truly is. Anything less, stop. You and the subject will become bo...

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“Anger is Best Cleansed Before Traveling” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #123

[Passing references regarding child abuse, elder neglect] Priscilla opened her almond-colored eyes. They fluttered, looking at the highest red, curtain she had ever seen. A curtain that reached into the darkness, touching an unseen ceiling. She looked around to acclimate herself. Nothing about where she stood looked familiar. I don’t remember this. I… I don’t know what’s I’m going on. "And now, here's our guest of honor. Welcoming, Priscilla Broooownnnnn… c'mon on in." An announcement boomed over the room. She couldn't place the voice...

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“Janet's Happiness on a Rainbow Pin” by Pako Dunwhile

Content warning: discussions of homophobiaJanet looked at herself in the mirror. She repeated the words until they came out of her mouth with gentle ease. The reflection moved along with her. A speech practiced in bed. In the shower. While driving. Between college classes. While waiting for her academic advisor. She had worked to shed her inhibitions. The trappings held her to what she considered as limiting and unauthentic.I am my own person, she repeated to herself. I am… my own… person. Janet took a breath to deflate her ballooning anxiet...

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“The Big Event” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #121

Brenda sat on her newly acquired, penthouse balcony along the Brazilian coast. The spacious overview added to her sense of calm with its chairs, tables, and couch. She looked at her phone's stopwatch. An hour, fifty-seven minutes. The pre-programmed functions were all that now worked without any cell connection. Its battery clung to twelve percent with a red battery bar. Brenda rode out the battery anxiety that used to matter. The phone won't be a phone soon enough. There probably won't be much of anything to distinguish anymore. Brenda wond...

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“Orange Hook Moss” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #118

Chloe listened to her footsteps as she walked through the wooded area. She reveled in the peace being in her home away from home. As a combat veteran, the forest preserve's serenity offered a reprieve from the memories of her overseas deployment. From the position of park supervisor, she maintained a more thorough familiarity with the grounds than anyone. Chloe accepted the important responsibility of preserving the park’s natural splendor. She surveyed last night’s unexpected storm damage, one that caught local meteorologists off guard...

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“Painting in the Moonlight” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #117

Moonlight basked the entirety of the mysterious, oil painting through the castle tower windows. Its oak-carved, intricate frame towered over Lady Margaret. Her mouth hung in awe at its majesty. Tiny hairs on her neck stood tall. The oil artwork depicted a solid, wooden bridge spanning a broad chasm. A large, handmade sign in red letters indicating DO NOT ENTER had been painted near the bridge’s entrance. The backside of an identical sign stood on the chasm’s far side. Lady Margaret had waited for this moment after obtaining the dead king’s ...

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“A Slap to the Family” by Pako Dunwhile

In the Moment Trisha sat on the faded, living room chair. She held the rectangular photo of her son. Donald smiled with a child’s joy on a playground swing during a summer afternoon too many years past. Outgrown clothes and innocence long traded for the adult world. Where did I go wrong? she thought, warming a never-ending mother’s guilt. His childhood had met all the usual checkboxes. The highs were never too high and the lows were never too low, outside of a workaholic father working for their piece of the American dream. He was giv...

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“Lucy Searches for the Sapphire Tablet of Enlightenment” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #115

“Lucy, I’m out [extended static] didn’t find the shack.” Gwen’s voice shook over the phone. “Did you find anything?” “Don’t come out [static].” “The call is breaking up. What are you’re trying to say?” Lucy longed for clearer details. Chills permeated through her. “Fly [static] home, don’t come here. Stay away, don’t waste [extended static] contact you in a few days.” “Goddamn it, tell me what’s going on.” The call went silent. Lucy screamed. “Mother fucking reception.” Her heart pounded. Lucy slammed the phone down. The plastic recta...

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“Jeff's Wagon Journey” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #113

Jeff stood behind the wooden podium decorated with a large Alcoholics Anonymous sign. His heart raced. Sweat gathered on his forehead. He looked over the compact, civic center backroom. People sat scattershot among the canary chairs. A protracted table offering dwindling coffee and store-bought cookies flanked the seating arrangement.“My name’s Jeff and…” he thought about the next obligatory words. A public label acknowledging his faulty character. He lowered his head in defeat. “…and I’m an alcoholic.”“Hi, Jeff.” Twenty-four attendees voice...

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“Sara Makes a Decision” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #110

The tall man in the purple trench coat and beige Barcelona sun hat caught her attention far in the distance. Annoyance crept through her calm demeanor at his visual interruption of the sunlit ocean. She expected a distraction-free drive along the winding, mountainside road. Nothing about his presence made sense to her. His lumbering obstruction forced her mind back to the reality of the moment, out of a serene headspace. She hadn't ever seen any hitchhikers until the mandatory exit off the road. Even at her far vantage, Sara could see that h...

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“Genevieve's Final Cup of Coffee” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #109

Genevieve sat aghast in front of her company laptop. Her mouth hung open like a trout caught on a fisherman's line. Her emotions dangled with equal effect. She did her best to manage the shock that radiated through herself within her workspace. "No fucking way," she stammered out. "How is this even possible?" The LED screen displayed the usual garbage pile of personal email subject lines. This lone email subject caused her skin to crawl. She had been reassured repeatedly that everything would work out fine, nothing could go wrong.  ...

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“A Woman's Authority Rebuked ” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #109

Assistant Pastor Francisca Cortez watched the nearly two dozen yelling protesters stomping within the church yard of her new job. Her heart began to accelerate with concern. A surge of adrenaline mobilized through her bloodstream. Her hands trembled on the steering wheel and her stomach tightened as she watched them against her rear view mirrors. No one had prepared her for what she witnessed. The group of provoked adults carried signs displaying JEZEBEL GO HOME, 1 TIMOTHY 2:12, WOMEN AREN’T LEADERS among other hand made ...

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“The Evolution of Butch's Views” by Pako Dunwhile

Submitted to Contest #107

The changing world made increasingly less sense to Butch. His Caucasian complexion had become more of a liability. He recognized that not so long ago its display would all but guarantee him what the kids were calling “privilege.” Having the upper hand in society had been something that the 56 year old enjoyed. As a straight, White, Christian male, he believed himself to be a living representation of everything correct with the the country. In his opinion, after all, straight, White, Christian males tamed the natives, built the railroads...

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