WORDS by Eneida P. Alcalde & ART by Lisa Dailey

Bullet Rust, August, 2015, San Francisco, California, photograph by Lisa Dailey

Roulette

by Eneida P. Alcalde

As his twin sister counted aloud, six-year-old Mikey McGee crept up the rickety stairs, careful to not make any squeaks that might give away his next hiding spot. Upon reaching the attic, Mikey squinted in the gray darkness, pierced by streaks of sunlight streaming in through opposing side windows. He spotted the antique writing desk against the far wall, tucked in-between a pair of bookshelves, overstuffed with old books and magazines. He tiptoed to the desk. Nearing it, he noticed the top right drawer, left open. Typically, his father kept it shut with lock and key. Mikey peered inside and saw a revolver, gold and shiny. He took it.

Minutes later, his sister found him, sitting crossed-legged under the desktop, between the stacks of drawers. He grinned and pointed the revolver at her like the cowboys do in the movies. He pulled the trigger.

There were no bullets. 

Eneida P. Alcalde’s Chilean-Puerto Rican background fuels her writing, which seeks to ask questions, explore mysteries, and elevate the underrepresented. Her stories and poems have appeared in literary outlets such as The Acentos Review, Magma Poetry, and Birdcoat Quarterly. 

Lisa Dailey is a Montana native and third-generation photographer living in the Pacific Northwest. She is also an avid traveler and writer. Along with her husband and two teenage sons, Lisa spent seven months traveling around the world, exploring thirteen countries and more than eighty locations. The world serves as the backdrop for her memoir, Square Up (Sidekick Press 2021), detailing her adventures and misadventures as well as her own personal journey through grief.  https://lisa-dailey.com.