How to do Revenge

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Published: October 2025, October Hill Magazine

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“The ocean laps at the truck, no longer lurking beyond the night. I blast the heat, warm air immediately lost out the window but somehow enough. He wrangles the stick-shift into third, fourth. Saltwater ricochets off the truck’s metal belly, vibrations I feel ass to eardrum.

‘Lloyd!’ I shout. ‘Go faster!’”

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Spoilers ahead!

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​​This was one of my favorite stories to write. It started with the idea of a guy who couldn’t let go of the fact that his little town was changing. Being upset about it is one thing, but it consumed his mind, made him a different person. I also liked writing the sibling-like relationship between Amber and Lloyd, and found it to ring true for a lot of friendships throughout my life.

 

Lloyd’s the pissed one, but Amber willingly follows his lead, as a best friend would. They end up on the beach one stormy night. I knew I wanted to write a stormy Oregon coast scene since grad school, the January residencies in Seaside that were often wet and windy, just as I describe it.

 

Sea blobs are a real thing, and at first, I had Lloyd and Amber gathering them to chuck at Lloyd’s childhood home, now a California-owned VRBO. The coastie version of an egging. That didn’t seem dramatic enough.

 

Cue the exploding whale:

 

Although this story was an absolute blast to write, I also like how it explores tough issues, like wealth inequity, the double-edged sword of tourism, and how thirsting for revenge can be its own kind of poison.

 

Thanks to October Hill Magazine for spotting this one, it was a perfect fit for the fall issue!