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SNC

@surfnoircowboy.bsky.social

57 followers 57 following 248 posts

a living document // prose film poetry photography essay // Los Angeles surfnoircowboy.com

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SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Break #flashfiction #writer

BREAK
She held the pink parasol in her hand. It provided enough shade to cool her a degree or two beneath the El Niño sun. A heat so strong her mind couldn’t wander; the moment forced itself to be felt. Across the street, the city worked to repair the roads before the next global sporting event. Construction men in hi-vis vests, shirts darkened with sweat, sat atop the roots of a pale tree. She watched as they drank water; they watched as she angled the umbrella to block their view.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Warming #writer #flashfiction

WARMING
During the day the concrete blocks that form the wall of the parking garage absorb heat. In direct sunlight, the wall bakes. Late in the evening walking back to the car, heat in waves emanates from the wall.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Construction #writer #flashfiction

CONSTRUCTION
Twirling on her tensile string a bulging spider from a telephone wire descends. She approaches a growing hedgerow, nearer now, a refuge. Between the two she’ll construct her monument, her weapon. Settled in the shadows of the bush, she’ll wait and watch, for the eggs to hatch and the meal to devour.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

With Care #flashfiction #writer

WITH CARE
Flew down there, and the coast was covered in slick, black rocks. They jutted out of the water like spikes. Stepping in, he took care to place his feet, and still he slid between them slimy. He held the board above his head; better to risk his ankles.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Cooling Off #flashfiction #writer

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

“Future Home of Desi Arnaz” #writer #flashfiction

“FUTURE HOME OF DESI ARNAZ”
Silver trays lay empty in the lit display case. A worker from the back taped a handwritten paper on it: “11am”. Poster frames on the wall hung empty. The cashier complained that she was still learning the system. After 45 minutes, a sandwich never arrived.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Filling #writer #flashfiction

FILLING
Returning home at the end of the day, I discovered a pothole on my street had been filled. Where normally I would bump and shake, and take care to go slowly, I felt a slight rise, then a smooth glide over the road. This did not register at first—and upon walking back through the dark patches of fresh asphalt, laid bare in the autumn twilight, grabbed my attention.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Trimming #flashfiction #writer

TRIMMING
Tree branches lined up along the roadside. An arborist lift held high in the air. Two workers stood on the ground, placing orange cones around the debris. Cars on either end stopped and waited for the action to complete.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Bitten #writer #flashfiction

BITTEN
Mosquitoes from the heat and rain. Uncommon. The skin around my elbow bulges white. Behind my knees an itch spreads. The edge of my sock rubs against burgeoning bites. My hand slaps down on my thigh and leaves only a red mark.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Under Cover #flashfiction #writer

UNDER COVER
Brown smoke billowed on the horizon. It seemed to be a few blocks away. The cloud grew and covered the sun, which glowed as an orange orb, casting ghastly shadows against the concrete.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Review #flashfiction #writer

REVIEW
The air conditioner sputtered to a quiet. Water dripped into a puddle on the sidewalk. The motor in the refrigerator hummed with a dull monotony. The rev of a motorcycle came to a roar, then dissipated slowly. The chain around a dog’s neck clattered as its owner walked past the window. A housefinch began to call from a tree branch.
“If everybody finished reviewing the doc, we can begin.”

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Argument #flashfiction #writer

ARGUMENT
A man my age holding a box arrived at the post office earlier than I had. Waiting in my car, I watched as he paced in front of the automatic doors. At nine, we went in. Behind him in line, I witnessed his attempts to convince the clerk to lower the overnight shipping price (“has to arrive tomorrow”), and my mind wandered, forgetting why I needed to be there so early.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Day 2 and wrapped! Feeling humbled and grateful to the whole team.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Wild that this box holds an entire movie from my brain.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I got chills just now filming a huge gust of wind came through right as we were filming the 45 second long take meditation 🙏🏻🫶🏻

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Day 1 in the books

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Very excited to announce that we are going into production tomorrow on my new short film, titled AUBADE. I will not be posting and writing this weekend. Hopefully I’ll have some BTS photos to share! #filmmaker #losangeles

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Waiting #flashfiction #writer

WAITING
Yellowed magazines covered the coffee table. Rogue red carpet ran from the entrance to to the back offices. Across from him sat the receptionist behind a desk—a man in his late-30s, arms busting out of his sleeves. He tapped his foot against the carpet, making no noise. The plastic chair beneath him shook. The door opened and an electronic doorbell sounded. The receptionist did not move. From behind the door to the back, he could hear footsteps approaching.

000

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Mud #flashfiction #writer

MUD
Neighbor left a sprinkler on in the drought. Oscillating the water cascaded in rippling arcs. Dry soil, desert soil, unaccustomed to water it collected in the grass and did not soak down. The dry roots of a nearby tree reached outward for sustenance. Up the block, a leashed dog eyed the mud ravenously.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Aura #flashfiction #writer

AURA
The sight in his left eye went in a flash of white. A kaleidoscopic flower appeared in his line of vision. A bulging pain began to emanate from behind the eye. He called his doctor, then his optometrist. They got him in at the last minute. “You’re going to have a migraine,” the optometrist said upon walking in. “Take some Advil. The white will go away on its own.”

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Goodbye #flashfiction #writer

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Alone #flashfiction #writer #indielit

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

“Anything Helps” #flashfiction #writer #indielit #altlit

“ANYTHING HELPS”
There was no shade on the median. He held a weathered piece of cardboard in his hand, statements scrawled in permanent marker on either side. Red light: up and down the median he tread, stopping here and there for a few bills. Sun-soaked, his gray tank looked soiled, and the cargo shorts hung loose around his hips, begging to stay up. In my pockets I fidgeted for my wallet, and felt within them a lack of bills, then the light turned green.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

A Return #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

A RETURN
Followed the evening route up the hidden staircases. On the corner they built a chateau-inspired home. Wrought-iron gate 10-feet tall circled the property. Every night the same: lights out, vacant garage, no signs of cooking or music or laughter or garbage cans filled and tipping over. Then, passing it by, I noticed somebody had pushed the automated gate open.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Good News #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Discovery #writer #indielit #altlit #flashfiction

DISCOVERY
To avoid the holiday rush I parked further along the road where there was no beach access. A dozen yards behind me a car emitted a shrill beeping like a triggered alarm. I grabbed my bag and began to climb down between the mangroves. Clutching a branch for balance as I navigated the shifting sand, I found etched in the bark a pair of initials. My fingers caressed the wound crusted over by salt and time.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Hunt #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

HUNT
Looking for a sign, I shone my flashlight against the base of the palm tree. Stuck in time: illuminated against the bark several cockroaches appeared. Afraid they scurried under the roots, into the dirt and sewer, and I away, rubbing at the skin of stale mosquito bites.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Abandonment #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

ABANDONMENT
Overnight raccoons overturned a neighbor’s garbage cans. Sheet music, vinyl records, guitar picks, and separated strings lay strewn across the asphalt. Deemed inedible, the raccoons left them for the hope of a banana peel. The ink on the sheet music began to fade in the sunlight.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Envy #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

ENVY
Through the window I watch the tree sway. Its leaves lie limp, allowing the wind to mold them, rising and falling with its breath. The branch bends, then rises again, then bends without complaint. The late summer flowers bloom for the sun and promise renewed growth. Year after year it does this: rises taller in the same spot.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

A Pause #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer #filmmaker

A PAUSE
He pulled the car over to the curb. One hand on the wheel, one on the phone, waiting for a response, staring at his last message. His heartbeat became overwhelming. Sudden claustrophobia struck. He shook his arms out and tried to engage the muscles in his legs. A traffic cop pulled up behind him. Looking in the mirror, he cursed under his breath, then pulled back into traffic to search for another place to wait.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Last Lighting #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Reset #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

RESET
Shoulders down and back, arms extended to the ground. Tense the muscles in the chest, shoulders, and upper back. Brace the core. Trace the journey of the breath: nostril to trachea to lungs to alveoli to blood, then back. Relax the muscles and exhale. Count backwards from ten.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Saturday, 4am #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

SATURDAY, 4AM
Someone folded a newspaper clipping and placed it under his wiper while he was away. The Drifter came back, fresh from an outdoor shower at the beach, holding his dripping flip flops in his right hand. He paused in his tracks upon seeing the car, then leaned in: the clipping from the want ads listed several business addresses. He twisted his head to read them, then reached out with his left hand to pull it closer. One of them had been circled in black ink. When he lifted up the flap, he saw scrawled across the newspaper a date and time.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Dirt #flashfiction #writer

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Pool #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

POOL
Between planks of wood I caught a glimpse of the surface of the neighbor’s pool shimmering in the sunlight. A cowboy hat, partially darkened from water, floated across, rotating in the current. A pair of snakeskin boots lay toppled by the side of the water. Outside the fence line, a trail of fresh footprints pressed into the mud.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

A Birth #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

A BIRTH
Between two palm trees I watched the Earth eclipse the moon. Its shadow slid slowly, carefully, partially across, leaving a crescent sliver at the top. As it passed, the moon’s fullness again was revealed. Neighbors gathered on the sidewalk to watch the ceremony. I would learn later a friend’s son was born at that exact moment, 2,700 miles away. I imagined the child’s first view, through the hospital window, of the moon slowly escaping the shadow, and my friend missing it entirely.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Saint Alphonsus #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

SAINT ALPHONSUS
They erected statues to the saint in the church parking lot. Around these, the church had placed pallets, trash cans, shovels, toppled ladders, and abandoned planks of wood. The stone statues teetered on the edge of parking blocks, his arms outstretched to the passersby on the sidewalk. Through a chain link fence I pressed my finger as far as it could go.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

windy afternoon Aug 25, 2026

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Parting #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

PARTING
“I love you so much,” the man said, pulling the other in close. A pair of suitcases sat beside them. They kissed for a moment, then two. They pulled apart, and he ran his fingers through the other’s hair, looked in his eyes, sighed with the breeze in the pines. “You stay. Just stay here.” In the distance the ferry crawled to the docks.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Shadowboxer #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

SHADOWBOXER
The sea crashed against the shore, rough after last night’s storm. In the early morning the thundering rain passed and the first blue sky for days emerged. I stood in the sand, then, as the waves landed and pulled me in, the ground shifting beneath my feet, toes plunging inches. A few yards down the shore, the only other man stood atop a dune, lunging forward and hopping back, keeping his arms blocking his face in defense. He danced with the ocean.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Sanderlings #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

SANDERLINGS
With three toes they scurry up the sand to avoid the coming wave. They follow in stride as the water recedes, scampering after it, plunging their deep, black beaks under the sand. In the intertidal zone sand crabs hide just beneath the surface, prizes waiting to be found.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Contact #writer #flashfiction #altlit #indielit

CONTACT
Ahead of me on the highway the sedan began losing its tire. The rubber wore away from use and the metal rim scraped against the asphalt. Orange and yellow sparks erupted from the contact. I pressed on the gas and moved around the car, wondering if they’d make the destination before they lost it.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Punctuality #writer #flashfiction #indielit #altlit

PUNCTUALITY
I gave the host my boss’s name and sat at a table with five place settings, feeling rare to be the first to arrive, and right on time. The diner had few customers, and the two waiters ambled from one to another, refilling coffee mugs, taking payments on the mobile receiver. Ten minutes pass, then fifteen, and I ordered a meal, checking my email, my Slack—no messages. The waiter came over with the plate of food, saying he sees the reservation was dated for tomorrow.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Call #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

CALL
“Bryan’s turned his camera off and he’s on mute. That means he’s taking a phone call. This might be an emergency—his mother’s in the hospital; he’s been waiting for a call. I should walk down there and see how he’s doing. Let’s wait—oh, he’s back. We can continue.”

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Answer #flashfiction #indielit #altlit #writer

ANSWER
Half the stores in the mall were empty. Lone workers stood behind the counters, using their personal devices. The other stalls sat empty, abandoned, closed. Voices echoed from the food court on the bottom floor. Down a hallway, a forgotten payphone, never decommissioned, began to ring.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Garden #flashfiction #writer

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Crash #writer #flashfiction

CRASH
The truck stopped at a diagonal in the intersection, skid marks still steaming behind it. The engine gave a gasp, then fell silent. The rear bike wheel had become separated from the frame and lay dented beneath a front tire. The rider sprawled across the concrete. One car drove past the truck, then another, then another. The owner of the gas station on the corner stepped outside and then turned and went back in.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Recollection #flashfiction #writer #indielit #altlit

RECOLLECTION
One in the morning. Up with a drink. Stuck late working, blank template staring back. The event the event. To have lived it then dissect it. The ditch the pipe the collapse the body the legs the screaming the call the race the lever the ropes the hand the lift the water the drag the tourniquet the relief. Another sip and it’ll come back, it’ll come together.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Thermal Misalignment #flashfiction #writer #indielit #altlit

THERMAL MISALIGNMENT
Extreme heat threatens the 10-year-old tracks. Steel expands and bulges out, damages the surrounding concrete, misaligns the rails. A water truck runs along either track, spraying gallons of water to cool the hot metal. As transit riders wait in the shade and watch the road transition from dark to light as the water evaporates.

SNC @surfnoircowboy.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Control #writer #indielit #altlit #flashfiction

CONTROL
The man sitting across from me had just gotten back from North Carolina, and already he needed to go again. He never flew, instead choosing to drive cross-country, spend the time. He held his backpack tight against his body, and his legs shifted beneath him seeking a comfortable position. The driver departed the bus to use the bathroom. The man looked around and asked if this was how it always went.