Synkroniciti is thrilled to introduce writer Daryl Hendrickson, based in Iowa, in his literary debut. “The Cell” is an atmospheric flash fiction piece about a convict returning to “normal” life after years of prison. Upon leaving lockup, this man finds himself a stranger in his hometown, which is full of empty storefronts. “The bus never comes to get me…I forgot its schedule, I guess. Nothing is the same.” Daryl’s writing is perceptive and spare, presenting an impressive combination of fear, hopefulness, tentativeness and regret that makes the reader yearn for restoration–all within the space of a few hundred words. So many bonds are broken and changed when a person goes to jail. Is there a process in our society for rehabilitating those who make mistakes, or do we write them off as non-persons for the rest of their lives?
Read “The Cell” in our September 1st issue, “Broken,” available for purchase here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/. This is a debut you don’t want to miss.
Daryl Hendrickson lives in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area. “The Cell” is his first work in the genre of flash fiction. Before exploring the world of writing, Daryl worked as an interior retail store designer. He enjoys hanging out with a good coffee and is constantly inspired by art, architecture, music, and poetry. He spends his free time with his husband, Mark, and their very opinionated and overly spoiled tortoise tabby, Toshiko.