Backroads or: On Being Blown Sideways Down the Road Less Traveled There's something peculiarly energizing about a road trip, even if, as is so often the case, it's a journey to nowhere in particular. Even if you've been down the same road a hundred times before, there's always the hint of something new in the air, some new adventure at hand right around t...
Chapter 1 I was supposed to go to the CIA. No, not that one, the other one--the Culinary Institute of America, the foremost cooking school in the country. I had been cooking for years for free, and I felt sure that's what I wanted to do for money for the rest of my life. It would be my ticket into the world, and introduce me to all the amazing things out t...
"I still think this sounds depressing." Claire grimaced. "There's a spot," she said, watching the reverse lights of a car come on as it started to back out. Tom stopped the car waiting for the space to vacate. "We'll just pay our respects to Calvin and catch up with some of our friends." Calvin Custis was dying. Calvin transferred to Claire and Tom's hig...
They call them Istanza. The word is derived from a long-forgotten language, a language whose origins are lost in the depths of time. None are left who speak the language in its entirety, but there are a select few who understand the handful of words that are still used. * * * 1: Finding Silra Leeann watched the ceremony with a keen awareness of her own gr...
This is my contribution to the "WINTER HOLIDAYS STORY CONTEST 2016" It is submitted to the section 'Interracial Love' and that's exactly what it is about: love, crossing boundaries. All names, characters, situations and incidents portrayed in this story are fictitious. No identification with actual persons is intended or should be inferred. Copyright blab...
Chapter 1: Don't Croc the Boat If Michael had known his future would have involved rowing a boat... he would have definitely worked more on his upper-body strength. Those crew jocks he remembered from high school all seemed to be practicing for something that would never be useful, like learning how to apply a mustard plaster or stealing cable. But here he...
CHAPTER 1: PEST CONTROL "Recruit! Why are there lizards raining from my goddamned vents?" The soldier stood, saluting. "I don't know, Sir!" The Staff Sergeant steadied his wide brimmed hat as a fat reptile fell from the air vent above the mess hall table, bouncing off his head and landing in a gravy boat with a splash. It motored its little legs, trying...
Author's Note: This is for all those who have told me my stories need a noir bent. Here is proof that I write modern fairy tales. I love my characters too much to do noir. To make it scarier, I edited it myself. The Cotillion The elevator wasn't moving fast enough. I watched the dull red numbers change from floor to floor, seven, eight... They seemed to be...
My thanks to blackrandl1958. ***** Chapter 1: Complacence and Discontent Every life has physical or emotional tragedy that must be endured. Suffering is part of our condition. A birth defect, an accidental crippling, an early demise: all lives include tragedies, eventually. The great tragedy of my personal life came to light because of another tragedy, a...
I know this one is long, but the way the plot wove into original sexual situations kept me writing. I hope you enjoy. ***** Chapter 1: The Arraignment "Would you look at her?" I took a sip of my champagne and looked at my friend incredulously. We were in a banquet hall with probably 300 other people. We were all wearing formal wear, and there were more t...