Stories and Paintings
With a gentle whir, the automatic blinds drew slowly back across the bedroom window, allowing the 6am sunshine to bestow its light and warmth upon the peaceful face of Stanley Berserkervich. Stan squinted, mumbled, then rolled over and stretched. He laid on his back and rubbed his eyes, then stared up at the ceiling... Continue Reading →
There was a time, not so long ago, when men were men. There was a time when the elderly were respected, when milkmen were appreciated, and when children could ride their bikes down at the quarry on a Sunday afternoon without fear of perverts or peanut butter sandwiches. Those were the days. My... Continue Reading →
Adolescence can be awkward, and Jenny Plural knew it better than most. With thick glasses, chunky braces on her teeth, chronic acne and a huge mop of frizzy hair, she was never going to attain to popular beauty standards. Neither did she have a sparkling personality or brilliant mind to compensate. She had only... Continue Reading →
Gordon Percival Fletcher folded his hands upon the thick, worn book in his lap and sighed. He looked around the empty room at the back of the library. Three empty chairs in a semicircle in front of him. Three was optimistic. There was a time when he needed to set out as many as... Continue Reading →
The next morning, Ray phoned Larry to tell him he would like to see the new Dunk Force squad. It seemed Larry had expected the call. Twenty-six minutes later a black sedan pulled up in front of Ray’s house. Ray got in, and the car took him to a large property outside town, where... Continue Reading →
Clouds of orange dust swirled as high as skyscrapers, blotting from view everything but the glowing blue circles of the giant thrusters. The ground trembled underfoot as every remaining eye turned skyward, where immense silhouettes peeled back to reveal bright, hazy daylight. The silhouettes shrank into the distance, and the whirring and whooshing that... Continue Reading →
As a child, Connor Dooley dreamed of becoming an Olympic Athlete. Simeon Toribio, to be exact. Why Simeon Toribio? Connor never said. He just spent his days in the backyard trying to jump over his mother’s tomato plants. Physically, Connor never had much chance of convincing anyone he was Simeon Toribio. Simeon Toribio... Continue Reading →
Shem turned and trotted along the base of the north hill until in the distance to his left a large shadowy form emerged above them. “That’s the farmhouse! We have to go back that way.” The famer’s voice yelled above the whooshing of the rain. It was a frightening yell. Shem waited. “Well,” he... Continue Reading →
The engine growled and a small truck came speeding around the corner. Shem jumped back from the edge of the road. Candace spun around and stood frozen and silent as the vehicle charged. It slowed down with a mechanical squeak and a shudder until it rolled gently forward. A man stuck his head out a... Continue Reading →
“I don’t think we can break through this fence,” said Shem. A guttural bleat blared behind them, with the frantic thunder of little hooves. Delilah raced across the grass, straight toward them. “Look out!” cried Candace, and she and Shem jumped aside. Delilah charged between them at full speed and rammed face-first into the gate.... Continue Reading →
