In the Pond

Jake is 25 years old, aimless, and teetering on the edge of his own self-destruction. His days are a blur of binge drinking, drug abuse, and an unhealthy obsession with a Brookstone massage chair.The year is 2016. When a routine mall trip takes a chaotic turn, Jake's reckless mouth and poor judgment get his best friend Dimitri fired-pushing them both to confront their meaningless existence. As Jake reflects on his downward spiral-failed jobs, addiction, and a series of personal rock bottoms-he is caught between bitter cynicism and a fragile hope for redemption.Darkly comic, brutally honest, and heartbreakingly raw, In the Pond explores the struggles of a generation lost in escapism and the search for purpose. Told with biting wit and unfiltered vulnerability, this is a story of failure, friendship, and the messy, often absurd journey toward self-discovery. Jake's story is both a cautionary tale and a glimmer of hope-because sometimes rock bottom is where the real story begins. For fans of Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Irvine Welsh, In the Pond captures the same raw energy, detached irony, and descent into self-destruction. With echoes of Bukowski's confessional grime, Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo mania, and the deadpan despair of Ottessa Moshfegh, this novel pulls no punches as it probes the dark absurdity of modern life. Praise for In the Pond >"In the Pond F***s" -Also ChatGPTCover art by W. Dane Iliff