“Brilliantly managed to convey the universality of human experience even though this world is so very different to mine! I loved the way it used being stuck in a traffic jam to present an array of different characters, all sad but in their own way. An outstanding piece!” -Steven French, Literally Stories reader

"'The Castle’s Walk-in Cooler,' the first by newcomer T.C. Barerra is a free trip to the bizarre land of California. T.C. weaves tremendous social examination with cynical humour and under-riding sadness, that is actually at the surface, for people who look at other people, and comes up a winner."

Written in the heat of a boozed out fever dream at the heights of alcoholism, this comedy short story was picked up originally by Third Street Review for their March 2025 online-only release.