Volume 3, Issue 11, November 2022
Jesse Rowell
Pages 30-41
The Stone Piles
How can a son receive the attention of his father, when they don’t share similar interests? Should a child change in order to find common ground with their father? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Gregory is a young, sensitive child, looking for approval from his father. However, his father’s only interest seems to be hunting. His father correctly understands that Gregory is not old enough, and does not have the temperament, for hunting. However, Gregory wants his father’s approval and his mother insists he at least take him out for target practice. Finally, after much waiting, Gregory’s father agrees, not to take him hunting, but out for target practice. While at target practice they find a sick kitten, still alive, with ants crawling over it. Gregory’s father has Gregory shoot the kitten to end its life.