Part One of “The Gate” was the inspiration for my short story “Call From The Cabin.”

Here’s the backstory on how these stories fit together:  In early 2013, I entered a “Three Minute Fiction” contest on NPR.  The challenge was to write a story in the form of a voicemail message, no longer than 3 minutes (or no more than 600 words).

I thought that would be fun… and funny.  I expected most entrants would go for comedy.  So I decided to find a way to narrate a dramatic story – hopefully a suspenseful one.

Revisiting a theme in “The Gate,” I crafted a quick tale spoken into a cellphone, one that reveals the caller’s fear about being vulnerable when away from populated areas.

I was excited that NPR chose my entry, “Call From The Cabin,” to be the first “favorite” from this contest read on-air (All Things Considered on February 16, 2013).  Click on the Play button below to listen to how NPR produced an excerpt of “Call From The Cabin.”
READ the full story on NPR’s website.