• Cannot Merge

  • A 15-Minute 90s Midwest Nostalgia Coming-of-Age Short Story
  • By: Lyle Durst
  • Narrated by: Virtual Voice
  • Length: 14 mins

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Cannot Merge  By  cover art

Cannot Merge

By: Lyle Durst
Narrated by: Virtual Voice
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This title uses virtual voice narration

Virtual voice is computer-generated narration for audiobooks

Publisher's summary

Benny’s nice enough, he just wants something else. What? He doesn’t seem to know. With each encounter, he feels more lonely and alienated. His night with Maggie is no exception.

Set in 1996, Omaha, Nebraska, this 90s midwest nostalgia coming-of-age short story (~2,500 words) is about yearning for a destiny that, try as you might, you can’t even picture.

EXCERPT
They continued like this for some time. Not saying anything, Maggie looking out the window, and Benny switching tracks on his Discman every minute or so.

"Can we go back to that one song..." Maggie reached for the Discman. Benny yanked it away. The cord attaching the Discman to the cassette tape adapter, already frayed, snapped. A loud pop played through the speakers, followed by a crackle. Then it was silent.

"Ahhh, fiddlesticks," said Benny.

Maggie's bare shoulders heaved forward as she chortled into her hand. Benny watched wide-eyed, with the frantic embarrassment of an insect exposed from underneath a lifted garden flagstone.

"Ohhh, I'm sorry Benny," said Maggie, regaining her breath.

"Ben. It's Ben!", snapped Benny.

"Ah, alright. Ben. Sorry Ben." She covered her mouth with her curled fingers, looked out the window, and convulsed once more.

"Let's go outside," said Benny. He turned on the radio. “1979”, by the Smashing Pumpkins was playing. Benny had heard it a few times before, though he couldn't have told you. He liked it. He didn't know why, but that he had been born in 1979 helped.

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