Crack the Spine - Issue 152

had turned on the television, though, he was met with a very recent problem he had been dealing with, or rather, refusing to deal with.

After his ordeal saving Addison, countless articles had been published about him. They originally started with silly titles, such as “Superheroes Among Us.” The titles became more abrasive, however, so soon as the press got to Jennifer.

Thanks to Jennifer Jenkins, now the entire press was suggesting exactly what she had been. The titles became things like, “God Calling Eric, But No Answer” and “Brave Man Now A Coward.” So when Eric Stryker turned on the news, he was met with the words: “Apparent gun shots heard on 3 rd Avenue. Police are saying the situation is under control, but we sent our reporter to get the full story. And later tonight, Eric Stryker: waste of talent or waste of time? We’ll have more for you on that after the break.”

Eric proceeded to yell, “Oh, fuck off!” Then he threw the empty bottle of tequila at the T.V. and passed out.

At 3:00 AM, Eric Stryker woke up to hear his phone ringing. Hesitant to answer it, he did so anyways.

“Hey, Eric, it’s Jennifer. I’m sorry to call you so late, but I need to talk to you.

Is there any way you can make it over to my apartment?”

Eric tried as hard as he could to avoid slurring his speech. He managed to hiccup and say, “Yeah sure.” He hung up the phone. Then he walked out the door, downstairs, and out of his apartment.

Eric knew full well that he couldn’t walk, but he also knew that he didn’t have enough money on hand to call a cab. As hesitant as he was to do so, Eric decided to drive. The next morning, Eric Stryker was found dead in his car about one block from his apartment. He had burned to death in a fire caused by his Chevy Monte Carlo. Addison survived, but there was no hope for the babysitter.