“Over the Counter” by Kody is a story about a small-town family that finds itself wanting financially. When the father is offered an opportunity by his friend Tim to steal prescription drugs from the pharmacy he works at, he reluctantly jumps at the deal, in which he will sell the “big shark” pills to Tim. Ultimately, it is his anxiety and devotion to his needy family that pushes him to start stealing the pills.
Unlike many stories that have a drop-off ending that leaves vital questions unanswered, this story answers every issue it neds to. We have seen the protagonist father complete a transformation. It is not a transformation from a morally good man to a corrupt man, but from a civil man to a lawbreaker. The ending is appropriate, because he has already reached the point of climax: the decision to steal the pills. The development of the setting is also beautifully constructed. They are in a small town, where the close proximity of people makes his actions more fragile. The religiosity of their culture also likely adds to the guilt. Perhaps it is his apparent lack of religious zeal, as evidenced by his sleepiness in church and his bar escapades, that leads him to make his decision against his better wisdom. The language is also nicely done, with a healthy variety of short, abrupt sentences and longer, more reflexive ones.
I would give a name to the town the characters are living in, and maybe give proper names to the pharmacy and the church, adding even more local color to that which you’ve already established. I would also go into lengthy, more detailed description of his theft of the pills in the final scene, which would make it even more of an adrenaline rush than it already is. Overall, this is an exciting, complex story that I really enjoyed reading.
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