R James-Jacob
@rjamesjacob.bsky.social
Drip-feeding stories here for free. Thoughts and comments welcome.
21. She loves this road. Says it's like a burning-black ocean wave rolling right into the dark heart of those ancient mountains. She can always find a nugget of gold amongst the dust and stones.
December 29, 2025 at 6:34 AM
21. She loves this road. Says it's like a burning-black ocean wave rolling right into the dark heart of those ancient mountains. She can always find a nugget of gold amongst the dust and stones.
20. I sit in the back, dozy, feeling sick, as the road rolls over the gravel washes and swishes back and forth across the canyon from the shadows to the sun, the sun to the shadows, black-white, white-black, dark-light.
December 29, 2025 at 6:08 AM
20. I sit in the back, dozy, feeling sick, as the road rolls over the gravel washes and swishes back and forth across the canyon from the shadows to the sun, the sun to the shadows, black-white, white-black, dark-light.
19. Walters drives like a one-man rule book, blinkers tick-ticking at every damn intersection. I never seen anyone use them out here. Tumbleweeds don’t care to know which way you’re heading — they just go where the wind blows.
December 29, 2025 at 6:07 AM
19. Walters drives like a one-man rule book, blinkers tick-ticking at every damn intersection. I never seen anyone use them out here. Tumbleweeds don’t care to know which way you’re heading — they just go where the wind blows.
18. No doubt she’ll be camped out under her favorite
tree, cross-legged on a yoga mat, some incense stinking the
whole place up, maybe high on weed and with all her days the
wrong way around.
tree, cross-legged on a yoga mat, some incense stinking the
whole place up, maybe high on weed and with all her days the
wrong way around.
December 29, 2025 at 6:05 AM
18. No doubt she’ll be camped out under her favorite
tree, cross-legged on a yoga mat, some incense stinking the
whole place up, maybe high on weed and with all her days the
wrong way around.
tree, cross-legged on a yoga mat, some incense stinking the
whole place up, maybe high on weed and with all her days the
wrong way around.
17. I tell him to head up to the White Mountains, to the old
Bristlecones. It’s a day’s hike straight up through Silver Canyon, or an hour-thirty drive down the valley and up over the pass. It’s cooler up there.
Bristlecones. It’s a day’s hike straight up through Silver Canyon, or an hour-thirty drive down the valley and up over the pass. It’s cooler up there.
December 29, 2025 at 6:04 AM
17. I tell him to head up to the White Mountains, to the old
Bristlecones. It’s a day’s hike straight up through Silver Canyon, or an hour-thirty drive down the valley and up over the pass. It’s cooler up there.
Bristlecones. It’s a day’s hike straight up through Silver Canyon, or an hour-thirty drive down the valley and up over the pass. It’s cooler up there.
I'm slowly posting a story about regret and second chances in the desert if you find yourself in need of a story while scrolling. First scene is up.
December 28, 2025 at 6:22 AM
I'm slowly posting a story about regret and second chances in the desert if you find yourself in need of a story while scrolling. First scene is up.
16. I stand to the side. Doesn’t bother me.
December 28, 2025 at 6:20 AM
16. I stand to the side. Doesn’t bother me.
15. His eyes narrow and he points his pencil at my door. ‘You mind if I take a look
around?’
Some folks out here would just as soon shoot a cop dead than let him snoop around. Another one of those little roulette wheels we all get to spin.
‘Routine, in these circumstances,’ he adds.
around?’
Some folks out here would just as soon shoot a cop dead than let him snoop around. Another one of those little roulette wheels we all get to spin.
‘Routine, in these circumstances,’ he adds.
December 28, 2025 at 6:18 AM
15. His eyes narrow and he points his pencil at my door. ‘You mind if I take a look
around?’
Some folks out here would just as soon shoot a cop dead than let him snoop around. Another one of those little roulette wheels we all get to spin.
‘Routine, in these circumstances,’ he adds.
around?’
Some folks out here would just as soon shoot a cop dead than let him snoop around. Another one of those little roulette wheels we all get to spin.
‘Routine, in these circumstances,’ he adds.
14. ‘Look, I can’t walk too well no more, but I could ride in your car. Drive by the places she loved round here. She’ll be out there somewhere,’ He looks back at me and there’s relief on his face. How’d you find someone in a land you don’t know?
December 28, 2025 at 6:17 AM
14. ‘Look, I can’t walk too well no more, but I could ride in your car. Drive by the places she loved round here. She’ll be out there somewhere,’ He looks back at me and there’s relief on his face. How’d you find someone in a land you don’t know?
13. He frowns and looks down the valley at the distant haze
rising off the dry lake. Not good to be outside when all that toxic dust blows this way. It gets inside you, right inside, becomes a part of you. A bad part of you.
rising off the dry lake. Not good to be outside when all that toxic dust blows this way. It gets inside you, right inside, becomes a part of you. A bad part of you.
December 28, 2025 at 6:12 AM
13. He frowns and looks down the valley at the distant haze
rising off the dry lake. Not good to be outside when all that toxic dust blows this way. It gets inside you, right inside, becomes a part of you. A bad part of you.
rising off the dry lake. Not good to be outside when all that toxic dust blows this way. It gets inside you, right inside, becomes a part of you. A bad part of you.
12. Neighbors are worried. County’s issued an Excessive Heat Warning and we have a senior citizen out there, potentially in distress. Do you know where she might be?’
‘Hell, she could be anywhere.’
‘Hell, she could be anywhere.’
December 28, 2025 at 6:08 AM
12. Neighbors are worried. County’s issued an Excessive Heat Warning and we have a senior citizen out there, potentially in distress. Do you know where she might be?’
‘Hell, she could be anywhere.’
‘Hell, she could be anywhere.’
11. She’ll turn up. She loves the desert. Walking in the heat. I'd say she headed out to the hills and lost her sense of time. You wouldn’t ever set a clock by her.’
‘I don’t want to lose someone on my second week in the job.’ He smiles while tapping his pencil on his notebook.
‘I don’t want to lose someone on my second week in the job.’ He smiles while tapping his pencil on his notebook.
December 28, 2025 at 6:07 AM
11. She’ll turn up. She loves the desert. Walking in the heat. I'd say she headed out to the hills and lost her sense of time. You wouldn’t ever set a clock by her.’
‘I don’t want to lose someone on my second week in the job.’ He smiles while tapping his pencil on his notebook.
‘I don’t want to lose someone on my second week in the job.’ He smiles while tapping his pencil on his notebook.
10. ‘Her car’s parked outside her home, but her truck’s missing and—’
‘No truck? That junk heap was destined for scrap. She won’t have left the valley in that. Lost track of the times I’ve patched up that engine.
‘No truck? That junk heap was destined for scrap. She won’t have left the valley in that. Lost track of the times I’ve patched up that engine.
December 28, 2025 at 6:05 AM
10. ‘Her car’s parked outside her home, but her truck’s missing and—’
‘No truck? That junk heap was destined for scrap. She won’t have left the valley in that. Lost track of the times I’ve patched up that engine.
‘No truck? That junk heap was destined for scrap. She won’t have left the valley in that. Lost track of the times I’ve patched up that engine.
9. ‘When did you last see her, Sir?’
‘In the street when I was getting my tires changed. Would’ve been… Tuesday, last.’
‘Did she call you in the time since?’
‘Nope.’
‘Did she give any indication that she was going to leave town? Head away for a while.’
‘Not to me.’
‘In the street when I was getting my tires changed. Would’ve been… Tuesday, last.’
‘Did she call you in the time since?’
‘Nope.’
‘Did she give any indication that she was going to leave town? Head away for a while.’
‘Not to me.’
December 27, 2025 at 9:41 PM
9. ‘When did you last see her, Sir?’
‘In the street when I was getting my tires changed. Would’ve been… Tuesday, last.’
‘Did she call you in the time since?’
‘Nope.’
‘Did she give any indication that she was going to leave town? Head away for a while.’
‘Not to me.’
‘In the street when I was getting my tires changed. Would’ve been… Tuesday, last.’
‘Did she call you in the time since?’
‘Nope.’
‘Did she give any indication that she was going to leave town? Head away for a while.’
‘Not to me.’
8. He looks confused. ‘And were you... did you… were you in a relationship with Ms. Fontana after she moved here?’
‘Nothing on me works like it used to, Officer. Causes me enough trouble, didn’t think it should trouble others too.’ He stares at me for a few seconds then writes in his notebook.
‘Nothing on me works like it used to, Officer. Causes me enough trouble, didn’t think it should trouble others too.’ He stares at me for a few seconds then writes in his notebook.
December 27, 2025 at 9:38 PM
8. He looks confused. ‘And were you... did you… were you in a relationship with Ms. Fontana after she moved here?’
‘Nothing on me works like it used to, Officer. Causes me enough trouble, didn’t think it should trouble others too.’ He stares at me for a few seconds then writes in his notebook.
‘Nothing on me works like it used to, Officer. Causes me enough trouble, didn’t think it should trouble others too.’ He stares at me for a few seconds then writes in his notebook.
7. ‘Knew each other from way back. Can't say I gave her
cause to trace me out here. Said her Doc sent her. We were sweet on each other once... but she married some lawyer. Smartest thing she ever did.’
cause to trace me out here. Said her Doc sent her. We were sweet on each other once... but she married some lawyer. Smartest thing she ever did.’
December 27, 2025 at 9:35 PM
7. ‘Knew each other from way back. Can't say I gave her
cause to trace me out here. Said her Doc sent her. We were sweet on each other once... but she married some lawyer. Smartest thing she ever did.’
cause to trace me out here. Said her Doc sent her. We were sweet on each other once... but she married some lawyer. Smartest thing she ever did.’
6. ‘I’d like to ask you some questions about Connie
Fontana. You know her, right?’
‘She alright?’
‘She’s missing. Didn’t turn up to her art show. Folks said she followed you out here from back east. Said you knew her well.’ He steps up onto the porch and tucks his shades into his breast pocket.
Fontana. You know her, right?’
‘She alright?’
‘She’s missing. Didn’t turn up to her art show. Folks said she followed you out here from back east. Said you knew her well.’ He steps up onto the porch and tucks his shades into his breast pocket.
December 27, 2025 at 5:33 AM
6. ‘I’d like to ask you some questions about Connie
Fontana. You know her, right?’
‘She alright?’
‘She’s missing. Didn’t turn up to her art show. Folks said she followed you out here from back east. Said you knew her well.’ He steps up onto the porch and tucks his shades into his breast pocket.
Fontana. You know her, right?’
‘She alright?’
‘She’s missing. Didn’t turn up to her art show. Folks said she followed you out here from back east. Said you knew her well.’ He steps up onto the porch and tucks his shades into his breast pocket.
5. ‘You the new officer?’ I shout, as a young cop who looks straight out of the academy gets out of the car. He squints in the sunlight and raises an arm.
‘That's right, Sir. Walters. Walt Walters.’
‘Easy to remember.’
‘Harry Withers?’
I nod. ‘Law doesn't come this way too often.’
‘That's right, Sir. Walters. Walt Walters.’
‘Easy to remember.’
‘Harry Withers?’
I nod. ‘Law doesn't come this way too often.’
December 26, 2025 at 3:57 PM
5. ‘You the new officer?’ I shout, as a young cop who looks straight out of the academy gets out of the car. He squints in the sunlight and raises an arm.
‘That's right, Sir. Walters. Walt Walters.’
‘Easy to remember.’
‘Harry Withers?’
I nod. ‘Law doesn't come this way too often.’
‘That's right, Sir. Walters. Walt Walters.’
‘Easy to remember.’
‘Harry Withers?’
I nod. ‘Law doesn't come this way too often.’
4. The desert isn't the place to sit and worry about all the things you didn't do right or to mourn all the goddamn things you couldn't keep a goddamn hold of.
Move on.
Quick.
Before that heat dries you all up inside.
Move on.
Quick.
Before that heat dries you all up inside.
December 26, 2025 at 3:53 PM
4. The desert isn't the place to sit and worry about all the things you didn't do right or to mourn all the goddamn things you couldn't keep a goddamn hold of.
Move on.
Quick.
Before that heat dries you all up inside.
Move on.
Quick.
Before that heat dries you all up inside.
3. Maybe that's what all that silty soil is? Just the dusty remains of all those poor souls who paused too long amongst the dead cacti and burning rocks.
December 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
3. Maybe that's what all that silty soil is? Just the dusty remains of all those poor souls who paused too long amongst the dead cacti and burning rocks.
2. I’ve never gotten used to the summer heat. The instant
you step out into that furnace you can feel it sucking
every last molecule of moisture from your body. Sweat fizzles
off your skin before it can even bead up. If you stood too long in that stony desert, you'd surely just crack and crumble
you step out into that furnace you can feel it sucking
every last molecule of moisture from your body. Sweat fizzles
off your skin before it can even bead up. If you stood too long in that stony desert, you'd surely just crack and crumble
December 26, 2025 at 3:46 PM
2. I’ve never gotten used to the summer heat. The instant
you step out into that furnace you can feel it sucking
every last molecule of moisture from your body. Sweat fizzles
off your skin before it can even bead up. If you stood too long in that stony desert, you'd surely just crack and crumble
you step out into that furnace you can feel it sucking
every last molecule of moisture from your body. Sweat fizzles
off your skin before it can even bead up. If you stood too long in that stony desert, you'd surely just crack and crumble
3. Maybe that's what all that silty soil is? Just the dusty remains of all those poor souls who paused too long amongst the dead cacti and burning rock. The desert ain't the place to sit and worry about all the things you didn't do right or to mourn all the things you couldn't keep a hold of.
December 26, 2025 at 6:54 AM
3. Maybe that's what all that silty soil is? Just the dusty remains of all those poor souls who paused too long amongst the dead cacti and burning rock. The desert ain't the place to sit and worry about all the things you didn't do right or to mourn all the things you couldn't keep a hold of.