Check out my latest story, The Floor is Made of Lava, published by Close to the Bone, a UK imprint that focuses on crime fiction. A big thank you to editor Craig Douglas, who was easy and enjoyable to work with.
The Floor is Made of Lava tells the story of a fictional drug called magma that burns users from the inside out. It was a fun challenge as a writer to imagine a new drug, determine how it would work, figure out what the side effects would be, etc.
This story began while visiting friends in Vancouver. On my last day in the city, the friend I was staying with had to spend the morning in his office. As he worked, I sat in a coffee shop planning my entry for the NYC midnight writing contest I had entered that was due later that week.
Downtown Vancouver has a problem with drugs and homelessness, and as I was considering the contest prompts, the idea for the story took place. It’s devastating to see all the lost souls in a beautiful city like Vancouver. The night before we had seen a show in an old firehouse and across the street was a large, partially flooded, tent city. The living conditions were horrid and people were walking around in a daze.
The disconnect between such wealth and poverty is hard to fathom. The war on drugs has failed and we need to treat addiction like the health problem it is. This story goes out to everyone who has struggled with drugs or to those who have lost friends and family to addiction. Be well and stay safe.
Jared Cappel 