Gorge, a novel in progress by Michael Gullo (2026)
“So what do we do now?”
“I say we prowl and provision.”
“Like head out?”
“Yes. I could use a few things.”
“Let me get some cash. Meet me upstairs in the –”
“Truck.”
“That works. The truck – Come on, Clover. We gotta go mess around in Mama’s makeup drawer. Look out, baby. Wow. You can tell we’re leaving, can’t you? That’s the last stair, Clover – you’ve been watching too many Datelines with your mother. Yes, Clover. You’re coming. It’s probably a little scary out there, so you better get that snuffleball. Look out. Let me at the drawer. Do you remember the last time I used this moisturizer on my hands? Her scary, ha? Head out to Nashville on us, will she? You want some for your paw pads too? Ah, don’t lick it. I know it smells just like Mama’s face. Court costs, ha Mama? Whaddya think, five hundred bucks? Okay, let’s go! Go, go, go, I’ll get the door. Go pee.”
“Did your dog just squat on command?”
“Under my thumb, brother.”
“Tell me she won’t get on my bed with those muddy paws.”
“Come on girl, jump.”
“Holy shit! Did she just make that leap?”
“You should see her steeple chase the couches.”
“You did a good job on this turn-out. I was looking at this from the Google satellite maps, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to turn around up here. It’s way bigger than it looks under the tree cover.”
“We had a lot of delivery problems – not problems – whiners.”
“Yeah, they get pissy walking a box up my sub-division front driveway. I can’t imagine what they think about a half mile ride through the banjo forest.”
“The whole thing’s a half mile with the turn-switchback to the garage.”
“I love that back there. When Stef pulled out the back, I couldn’t figure out – I was like, how’s she gonna get out of there?”
“Just came to me one day. We really did not want the garage on the front of the house, and putting it basement level in back gave us that huge back deck.”
“It’s a slick design, for sure.”
“Do your brakes always squeak like that?”
“It’s the hills and the gravel dust.”
“Just not used to it anymore I guess. Did you know we got the Sierra EV too?”
“Wait, you have two EV’s now?”
“Yup. You were so busy pooping on my Baofang I withheld the best parts.”
“I know it’s just fun and games, but you put a lot more thought into this than you make pretend, didn’t you?”
“The Sierra has a two-forty outlet in the bed. I ran a NEMA 14/30 plug from the garage to the solar mechanical room where I have an EG4 Chargeverter connected directly to the battery busbar. I can charge the house battery with the truck battery, and it doubles my capacity to almost five-hundred kilowatt-hours.”
“That’s pretty slick. Which way?”
“Take a right.”
“I came in that left way.”
“That’s into the country. Right takes us to town.”
“So, it passes through.”
“I mean, sort of. You probably had hell on the curves back there.”
“Absolutely. A car actually had to stop and let me pass on the one curve.”
“At the little stream? The cattle?”
“That was some idyllic stuff – the trees.”
“On my first day, I was hoping that was the place as I drove by.”
“Yours is way nicer.”
“Still, that’s a postcard.”
“What’s with the junkyards?”
“Old-timers.”
“What do they make of you?”
“Stef helps.”
“Scared of her?”
“They should be.”
“Seymour Community Center. Do they have things there?”
“That’s where we vote.”
“That place is like hundreds of years old.”
“There’s no record of exactly when it was built, but they peg the date at 1907.”
“Seriously? A horse – tied to a rail? Do you know the old lady on the porch too?”
“That’s Mernie. She rose up from the ground with the building.”
“So you’re learning your new place?”
“You know me. I love it, I live it.”
“Bone deep.”
“There’s a car.”
“Did you see those white knuckles?”
“You have a better view.”
“That dude’s on a mission.”
“Let the window down a little for Clover she wants her face in the wind.”
“That’s bad news if she gets a bug in her eye.”
“Go slow. She lives for this.”
“She’s on my bed, dude.”
“I know. I’m sorry, man.”
“Which way?”
“Right – they have diesel there if you want to fill up.”
“There’s not a car in the lot.”
“They’re in there though. Pull in.”
“That’s all gas – bags on the handles.”
“Diesel’s around back.”
“Kerosene!”
“So?”
“Kerosene’s the first cut, then diesel. This’ll burn anything.”
“It’s your ride.”
“Just pull up to the diesel pump and follow my lead. Try not to ooze all that Yankee.”
“Okay, Clem. You handles it.”
“Maybe wait out here.”
“Asshole.”
“Hey. Krystal!”
“Michael. Whatchoo doin’ here?”
“With all that’s going on, I thought I’d get them a little early.”
“Still tryin’ to quit?”
“Escape.”
“Escape. How you doin’ otherwise?”
“Better than I deserve.”
“I’m sure that’s true.”
“Who’s this handsome man?”
“This my buddy, James.”
“Howdy, James. I’m Krystal since Michael’s too rude to do the introducing for me.”
“Hi, Krystal. It’s nice to meet you.”
“So formal. You gonna be like that on our first date, or will you lighten up by this evenin’?”
“Look out, buddy, Krystal will get you pregnant.”
“Now, Michael, don’t interfere. He’s a big boy, and he can make his own decisions.”
“Oh lord. Trade’s a little on the slow side this morning.”
“Gas been out since eleven last night. Weekend wiped us out.”
“I bet you held a bit back.”
“You know I did, but that RC truck of yours don’t take no gas.”
“The Unimog takes diesel. I bet you’re about full there.”
“You’d be surprised. Veeder-root says seventy.”
“Why you got the pump handles bagged?”
“Truck ain’t scheduled yet, and we can’t sell out to every tourist begging me to take their credit card when they got a pile of cash in their pocket, or we won’t have what we need here in the valley.”
“You’re a public servant.”
“How about you, handsome? How ‘bout we set something up, and I switch that pump on?”
“Is she?”
“Krystal. I don’t know how you do it, but you got this guy on the money.”
“It ain’t magic. Lookit him. Trimmed to the whisker detail, not a hair out of place, funny lookin expensive truck, gold bracelet. Only thing threw me was the track suit. I bet you got a clothes pole in the back of that – is that Clover? Why didn’t you bring her in? I’m going to say hi.”
“Where did you move to, dude?”
“Home, buddy.”
“She’s something.”
“She is the characters that people my life.”
“Guy Ritchie couldn’t cast that one.”
“Just be nice.”
“She’s in my bed, dude.”
“Hey, these sheets smell good. I know, Clover. You’re such a good girl. Awww, here comes a tourist. Okay, Clover. I gotta go, lover.”
“Can I buy James a bit of diesel?”
“Yeah, go on out back and pump it so I can get rid of this guy – you got cash, right?”
“Yup. Card reader down?”
“Whole world’s down. You been under a rock?”
“I ain’t left the holler all week.”
“Good morning, sir. Welcome to the Wye Exxon. What can I git for you today?”
“We came in yesterday, and you were out of gas. I was here this morning, and you’re still out.”
“I’m afraid it’s worse than that now, there’s no appointment for a truck, and the phones don’t work no more, and we can only accept cash.”
“Do you mean to tell me that I waited around here all night for gas, and I could have…”
“Sir, I told you last night that there’s Floyd’s and the Weigles and a Shell gas station right up the road.”
“I been to all of them.”
“Sir, don’t be mad at me. I don’t…”
“Heya, pal. You ain’t from around here, are you?”
“Neither are you.”
“Yeah, but I got here as quick as I could, and I’ve been here twenty years.”
“So what’s that mean?”
“Well, it don’t mean much because it was kindergarten when I learned my manners, and I knew better than to act like that in public long before I got here.”
“Now, Michael. Don’t lose your temper again.”
“Have we got a problem, buddy?”
“Well, sir. I don’t have a problem, but if you don’t get in your big bad work truck ain’t got a speck of dirt on it and go someplace has what you need - - - Krystal?”
“Yes?”
“He ain’t here for gas, is he?”
“Nope.”
“And you told him real nice that’s not happening, right?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, buddy. What’s your name?”
“I’m Jimmy.”
“I’m Michael. Here’s what’s gonna happen, Jimmy. I’m gonna put my arm over your shoulder like we’re old pals, and I’m gonna walk you out that door there, and if you don’t go easy, the only action you’re gonna get tonight’s prison sex? That sound about right to you, Jimmy?”
“You the law?”
“There you go, Jimmy. You feel that? That’s my credentials. There you go – Krystal, you sure about this? He’s tall like you like ‘em.”
“I’m sure.”
“Well, Jimmy. I guess that settles it.”
“Get your arm off me.”
“You gonna go and stay gone?”
“---”
“Jimmy keep pushing that door. You’re on the right track, now. Just go on. That’s it. Let her close, now – Krystal you gotta flirt better.”
“I can’t help it. I’m sweet.”
“I know, love, but even Stefanie gets scared for you over here all alone all night – why are you still here?”
“She’s so sweet. Sat with me yesterday at church. We was guessing which songs Larry’d play.”
“Why are you still here?”
“Krystal never came in.”
“Which one?”
“Does it matter?”
“A gas station got three girls all named Krystal. It matters.”
“All full. Did you know that guy?”
“A buddy of mine.”
“So, we have your carton, but we have eleven packs too. Do you want all of them, considering?”
“Yeah, I guess I better.”
“You know the Marlboro Lights are the same thing, and they’re on sale this week too… And we have three cartons of those.”
“Okay, give me those too.”
“Do you have cash, or do you need us to start a slip?”
“I have cash.”
“The diesel’s two-twenty-five, and I’ll charge you ninety even for each carton. Pack’s on me.”
“Here’s seven. Wrap it up.”
“Get you a gallon of milk and some of them donuts you like. I know there’s a box of those over there – and the coffee’s fresh too.”
“I’ll do it. Rusty been in?”
“He was in this morning. The usual.”
“The girls good?”
“I love them little urchins.”
“He still hustling the onsite service?”
“Yep.”
“He running enough?”
“Seems like. Had a tab last month, but he cleared it up the next week.”
“Keep me posted.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Let’s go, buddy. We gotta go back to the house for money. Sugar britches over here cleaned me out.”