Michael Lechtman

Under The Bridge Michael Lechtman

Under The Bridge is a collection of four novellas and four short stories. Each story deals with the underside of life, themes that are always present in our daily lives, but which nobody wants to think about. Eleventh Hour Hero is a fast-paced tale of how an ordinary citizen can be tricked by the government into an assassination mission against a Middle Eastern dictator. It's a suicide mission that the government will not risk on one of its own operatives. Will the story's hero, Sam Kenicaw, survive in order to save the lives of millions, or will he be willing to sacrifice his own life? The River is a coming-of-age account of teenage boys in the doldrums of summer who scale across a wide raging river from beneath the superstructure of a massive bridge. The event is triggered by the previous drowning death of a young boy, which leaves the story's hero with a deep guilt that cannot be set free until the bridge is scaled. The Lost Souls Club exposes the brainwashing committed on unsuspecting people, both by a unique religious cult, and the unscrupulous dealings of a con man who takes advantage of it. The "lost souls" are willing to follow these leaders, no matter the cost to their own lives. Malcolm's War is a chronicle of modern-day anti-Antisemitism using the unique power of the press by the story's wealthy antihero, Malcolm Randolph. Will Malcolm's attempts at a new Holocaust succeed, or are there now forces in the world to combat it? The Decline Of Brother Brown is an account of the ravages of debt, and how it affects the life of a once proud and successful man. Brother Brown is now a down and out lawyer who is defended by his protege, but for how long? Wishful Thinking explores poverty, and its consequences of depression and suicidal thoughts. The story's hero, Luke Bean, is forced to leave his family's farm for the big city and extra income for his family. What will his fate be in the face of his ever increasing mental deterioration?To The Democracy Of Old details a left-wing revolution in a stable democracy. The Colonel-Commander has taken control of the entire country, and the lives of its people. What you may think the story is about will surprise you in the end. Under The Bridge, the title story of the collection, is a sad yet heartwarming account about the homelessness we see every day all around us. The protagonist, Dexter Flan, is a happily married man who has a young son. From one day to the next, he loses his job and his family and finds himself living a morbid life under an expressway bridge, surrounded by other homeless men. Is there still kindness and justice left in our world that can lift Dexter out of his plight? Find out when you read Under The Bridge.