Synkroniciti is excited to welcome writer Stephen Dean Ingram of New Mexico with “Alana,” a story of an American couple, Cynthia and Derek, meeting a young American woman in Greece. Alana (or is it Elaine ?) seems to be wandering and tells them she has been abandoned by a friend. Cynthia takes the young woman in, but Alana’s story doesn’t quite add up and she seems awfully taken with Derek. Ultimately, there is a betrayal which doesn’t only expose Alana’s slippery identity, but makes Cynthia rethink her own. It’s a subtle story and we read between the lines for the motivation for Cynthia’s empathy, Derek’s adventurous athleticism, and Alana’s secretiveness. There is more rippling beneath the surface, a subtext that is subtle enough to create a captivating ambiguity.
“”Jesus Christ, Derek, you said the water would be cold, but wow!” Cynthia sloshes knee deep through the shallow inlet to Elafonisi island later that day, Styrofoam cooler held overhead, thighs bright pink from the icy water. Derek follows behind, carrying Alana on his back fireman-style. The water hip-deep for her, Alana hesitated to wade in, so Derek offered to carry her across.
“What is that?” asks Alana as she hangs onto Derek’s shoulders, water splashing rhythmically below as he muscles through the clear brine. She fingers a gold coin-size medallion hanging around his neck from a leather thong, roughly edged, depicting a figure with winged sandals holding a staff with entwined snakes.
“Hermes,” says Derek. “Cynthia got it for me in Athens. God of athletes, messenger, think he was some kind of healer. I run, I’m a doctor, so…” “Nice.” Alana rubs her fingers slowly over the raised relief on the medallion as they splash forward, feeling the pulse of his hips with each step, and presses it carefully back onto his chest. “Nice,” she says again, softly.”
Stephen’s characters are well-drawn and fascinating, particularly the women, and the plot is exciting and leaves space for the imagination to weave elements that remain concealed. We see the danger of Cynthia’s trusting nature. Is Alana an innocent in a bad situation, or is she an expert con? How close does she get to Derek? Stephen gives us no answers, but we will be pondering the questions for days.
Read Alana in Synkroniciti’s “Identity” issue, available for purchase here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/
Stephen Dean Ingram’s writing has appeared in Gulf Stream Magazine, Santa Barbara Literary Journal (Pushcart nominee), Granfalloon, Blood & Bourbon, History Through Fiction, and other publications, and was shortlisted for The Letter Review Prize. A former trial attorney, he writes short stories, memoir pieces, and novels. He lives with his wife Mary and Olive the orange tabby princess in New Mexico.