I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 25, 2023] “So Much Heart”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my sixth time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

The 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individual short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.  Now in its ninth year, the SSAC is back to once again bring readers a deluxe, peppermint-fresh collection of 25 short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.

The author of this story was Drew Buxton.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.

It’s December 25. To officially conclude the 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar, here is a story about family, friends, and mysterious suitcases stuffed full of cash.

This story features both Bigfoot and D.B. Cooper.

Set in Oregon, two young kids Collin and Shelley go into the woods with a film camera looking for Bigfoot.

Collin’s mother is a drunk who broke her leg recently.  So Collin is more or less on his own.  Shelley’s mother is very nice to Collin and enjoys that the kids play nicely together.

As they are hiking in the woods, they come upon a terrible smell.  As they get closer, they realize that the bad smell is from a dead body.  The body has been eaten by wildlife and is decomposing.  But there is also a suitcase.

Collin’s mother has been obsessed with D.B. Cooper since the story started and she wants him to succeed.  So Collin knows that this could actually be Cooper.  When they open the suitcase, they see that it is full of cash.

The kids decide to take the money.  They realize they need to bury the body and the suitcase. But first they each take $500.

The kids leave some money for their moms (with no explanation).  Shelley is rewarded with a Christmas present, but Collin’s present hits wide of the mark.  He’s also not sure if he did the right thing giving it to her.