Sometimes Trigger

by Paul Tobin

About the Author: Paul Tobin is a writer in Portland, Oregon, who works primarily in comics, where he has won three Eisner Awards and been nominated for many others. He works in a wide variety of genres, from horror such as COLDER and charming humor such as BANDETTE, along with writing the all-ages PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES graphic novels, which have sold in the millions. He has also written novels and works in video games. He enjoys his climbing gym, cookies, and reading good or even moderately good books.

Excerpt

Josh Jensen lived beneath the Burnside Bridge but denied such was true. He said the bridge lived over him. Claimed there was actual difference, and that he’d someday tell me what that difference was, but only with some coffee and some beer and some cigarettes and most of all some woman to draw out the secret, and while he always had beer and sometimes cigarettes, he seldom had coffee and most rarely a woman, and he never had them all at the same time because he was not a king.

All his life revolved around that dog of his, which was some days named Scout, other days Lassie, even sometimes it was Trigger, but it was always and ever the same dog, a dirty Dalmatian mix. That dog was a bundle of muscle, half dog and half crowbar, all covered in spots.

A woman gave Josh the dog. Her name was CG. She hadn’t freely gifted, only left a responsibility, but some people’s responsibilities are other people’s friends, and Josh and I both love that dog in a way I say only men can do. I know I’m wrong but I still say it.

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