Billy's Hubcap Heaven

Fifty-word story [42]

Photo by Documerica on Unsplash

The sign out front clattered against the chain link fence. Mountains of hubcaps, rusted-out cars, and scrap metal littered the property. Billy didn’t see the mess. He saw art, history—an empire forming and expanding. He sat on the hood of his dead blue Camaro and smiled.

“Billy’s Hubcap Heaven” was my response to this past week’s Fifties by the Fire. Special thanks to all those who read and/or contributed stories! Be sure to check them out if you missed ‘em. The responses are vastly different, and that’s what makes the exercise so much fun.

As we surge toward the summer season, I’ll have some extra time on my hands. For this reason, I plan on hosting some “pop-up” Fifties by the Fire prompts in which there won’t be any previews/prior notifications. They’ll feel more like a summer campfire, a “Hey, we’re having a fire tonight. Want to come over?” type of scenario. I’ll still shoot for Fridays at 3:00 PM EST so they won’t be entirely random, but keep an eye out!

Finally, my slim volume of fifty-worders is taking shape. Fifty Fifties (50 Fifties? Fifty 50s?) is the first step in my journey toward self-publication. My goal is to release this tiny book of tales sometime in the fall. If you are a graphic artist and willing to lend a hand, please let me know. I am looking to collaborate with someone to help design an original image to accompany each story, and I’m willing to compensate this individual for their time!

Thanks so much for being here and for reading my work.

Have a great week!

- Justin