The Number Robber

It’s a curiosity, more than a crime, of how the house numbers are disappearing in a small Nebraska town. It started with just one or two digits from a few houses, but now more and more numbers are disappearing. The town is in an uproar; rumors abound, neighborhood watches are forming, and people are getting lost. Fear is taking hold as the town wonders what could happen next. But Jon is simply listening to the voices. Doing what he’s told, following instructions. He’s trying to find an answer. One simple answer that just may set him free. “The Number Robber,” a short story, was originally published in Water-Stone Review (2005). It’s a story of despair, hope, and one man’s quest to get back everything he’s lost through a mental illness.