Erik Storey > Quotes

“In the rearview mirror I could see the tired old ball of atoms settle down in its bed of rocks and sand, pulling its pink-and-red blankets over its head, then finally turning off the light.”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“The place smelled of piss and mildew and stale beer. There was something else, too: the acrid sweat of the strung out—a smell that reminded me of the little cantinas in Bolivia where people in the coca trade use booze to come down from the powder cloud that gets them through the long shifts. If broken souls had an odor, they’d smell like the Cellar. A single bar on the right ran the entire length of the building: twelve bar stools, five occupied by men. And to the left of the bar was a group of tables, one of which propped up three people—two women and a guy—who looked like they were passed out. The bartender, a good-looking young woman with a ponytail, was yelling at a man whose elbows were propped on the bar. He stomped outside after the reaming, and I headed toward his abandoned seat. The”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“The place smelled of piss and mildew and stale beer. There was something else, too: the acrid sweat of the strung out—a smell that reminded me of the little cantinas in Bolivia where people in the coca trade use booze to come down from the powder cloud that gets them through the long shifts. If broken souls had an odor, they’d smell like the Cellar. A”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“Once I’d climbed out of the cab, I put my outstretched hand below the sun, thumb up, fingers parallel with the horizon, index finger sitting directly below the sun. There was room for another hand, so at least two hours until sunset. Fifteen minutes per finger, one hour per hand. Allie”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“The fourth moved like a Benzedrine cat and hopped over Spike, came down, and tried to get me with a big right.”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“The four men fidgeted, animated about something or other, eyes constantly searching, seeing and cringing at the spiders on the walls and the mothmen in the corners. All four tweakers were white, thin, and tall. And close to the same age. All wore baggy shirts and baggy pants, and their flat-brimmed ball caps were crooked. When they spoke it was clipped and fast and they used hand gestures that looked like bad karate. Occasionally they’d look my way, make a gesture, laugh, and sneer. One spit at my feet. I smiled, nodded, and held up my whiskey. The three at the table must have been coming down from “a long time on the moon,” as the meth heads called the time they spent tweaked. Their heads were cradled on skinny folded arms and one, the guy, snored. “You”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“Sandy escarpments rose up on the left and forested mesas hugged the right until we dropped off a hill and headed into the Rifle valley. The river was wider here, with waves shimmering white in the sun. What were once hay fields in the flat floodplains were now natural gas pads, pipe yards, compressor stations, and gas plants. One of the latter spewed a flame sixty feet into the air. Closer to town, the cattle pastures I’d known as a kid were buried forever under asphalt and pavement, with houses and apartment complexes built on top. I”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“It would be nice, after this was over, to take a long raft trip. Maybe Jen and I could paddle through Westwater and its ass-clenching rapids, then lounge on the banks in Moab for a week or two. That would be heaven: a raft trip with a beer in my hand instead of a rifle. I”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“I’m not a girl,” Allie said. Her eyes had narrowed to thin slits, and she stared at me as if begging for debate. “Sure, you’re not a girl. Got it.” I’d obviously hit a nerve and I wasn’t going to argue. “Let’s”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying

“A sleek blue sports sedan with tinted windows appeared, moving too fast toward the park. I stepped out of the shadows and motioned to Allie, who started running toward me. “Get in the truck and stay there,” I said quietly. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She hesitated for a moment before opening the passenger door. Her look asked for an explanation. “We have visitors,” I said. “Barr,”
― Erik Storey, Nothing Short of Dying