This short story, “Cleopatra Wash,” is about a down-on-his-luck man who gets lost while hiking outside of Las Vegas. He encounters a drunk, homeless mountain man, who helps him find his way back to the main road and, to a certain extent, his way in life.
I leaned on my UNLV connects for feedback on this story: James Joseph Brown (MFA creative writing), Raluca Comanelea (MA literary studies), and Richard Wiley (author and professor emeritus). Special thanks to James for repeated reads and feedback! And shout-out to Devoid Magazine Editor-in-Chief Victoria Koelkebeck for accepting the story and presenting it professionally.
This one is personal, y’all. It’s based on an ill-fated hike I did many years ago, when I was feeling a certain way about a certain relationship. When time permits, I hope you’ll take it for a spin.