The King

by Christopher Ruz

Derek and his misanthropic, self-entitled friends are having a little competition. The whoever suffers most, wins.But Derek isn't playing by the rules. He has a plan that'll make him the idol of his all friends, as well as get him back into Sylvia's pants. All he has to do to claim the crown is quit heroin... while his friends watch.The only problem? Derek has never used heroin. And so, armed with nothing but with the help of his local dealer and a thorough understanding of Trainspotting, Derek begins the greatest performance of his life...A black comedy that won the Birdville Impromptu Fiction Award, The King is a short story about hard drugs, hipsters, hatred, and the delicate art of shitting the bed.3000 words.

12 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2011

About the author

Christopher "Ruz" Hayes-Kossmann was born in Hong Kong, raised in Vienna, and is now settled in Melbourne, Australia. Although he graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Industrial Design, his first love has always been writing.

He's been published by Weaponizer, Labyrinth Inhabitant's Magazine and Birdville Magazine, and has won both the first Ergofiction Search Term Challenge and the first Birdville Impromptu Award.

His first fantasy trilogy, Century of Sand, is releasing Q1 2019 from Parvus Press.

Reviews

[Bozeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King

Ruz does a great job of introducing us to unique and dynamic characters in barley anytime at all, choosing just the right details to share. A quick read. Definitely a good example of character done well