Threat Along The Homestretch And Other Stories

About the Book

Consider this book. Beyond these pages is my collection of stories centered on mental health and multigenerational relationships. This is my first book since the one I finished in high school, Mr. Rot’s Garden (2018). It may seem curious there’s just nine short stories I’ve tucked in here, but I am quite proud of all of them and feel they well represent my strengths as a writer.

The first I’d like to mention is “An Assessment In Frailty” which picks up right at the end of a home tour. Eighty-four year-old Franklin Sprawl is put down by homeowner Robert Lash who claims the senior hasn’t made any meaningful contribution to society during his lifetime of work. This spark’s Sprawl’s relentless need to prove lash wrong by making an art piece that says more about Lash’s flaws than anything else. The second, “Surface Street Shades,” follows Elderly widow, Geraldine Fade, who drives in a weathered truck with a distinctive gash on its tailgate. The old woman is aghast when a white SUV is stalking her, though she manages to lose them momentarily and sets upon inviting her handyman over to do work and quell her stress, she learns the hard way about the many faces of appreciation.

Thirdly, my title story, "Threat Along The Homestretch" concerns an anxious young adult, with unbidden urges, who just wants to get home. But when road work redirects him away from the shorter path to his house, he must enter a senior center where he thinks he is increasingly susceptible to striking out. “The Welcoming Bench,” shows a young teen boy’s perspective change thanks to a story an old Quaker gives him about her dear deceased friend Nanette Looking. It’s a cozy premise with memorable characters which tackles greater themes of religion and universal needs for companionship.

About the Author

Kreffan Bunker was born in 2001. After writing his novel, Mr. Rot’s Garden in late 2018, he tried short fiction for the first time a year later. He loved it and gradually pursued writing more complex characters and themes. However, in late 2020 he was hospitalized for 3 weeks due to worsening mental health. Coming to terms with this breakdown led to a desire to write fictional pieces addressing mental health crises. Also from his early life forward, he has connected with people of many different ages, drawing from that in his recent work. He intends to write more and publish other collections after he appreciates the fruits of this second project.