A Crooked Man
This story is derived from John Nedwill's "There Was A Crooked House". I strongly suggest you read his story first.…
Shorty's Plan
Way back in May 0f 2016, the Weekend Write-in Prompt was "In 500 words imagine what happens when someone ventures on a hike into the wilderness." I did, and Shorty's story was born. Nearly four years later, along comes the prompt "Plan." So I thought of Shorty.And then I thought of the rest of the team, and "Raskin's Plan" was born.Not to be out-done, The Chief of Guards, Gerrity, had a plan of his own; thus "Gerrity's Plan."The story just started to get out of my control after that.…
People Shooting People
When a photographer talks about shooting someone, he is talking about taking their picture. He usually does not expect them to shoot back. "In the Frame" was written for the 10 April prompt, "appear.""The Nature Photographer" was inspired by the 17 April 2020 prompt "start".…
The All-New Truth or Consequences
Rocky thought he had finally hit the big time. All he had to do was answer five questions. Written for the 3/27/20 prompt "Penalty". The second story, "Ms Collins", is about retribution, plain and simple. But how do you get even for something that happened thirty years ago? Written for the 4/3/2020 prompt "friend".…
The Shuttle.
Harold and Elizabeth are taking a daring vacation trip. But has the technology been tested enough to get them there and home safely? Written for the 21 Feb prompt "Ticket".…
What Happens Next?
A chance encounter, a snippet of conversation. These are the seeds to our stories. As writers, we see things, we hear parts of conversations and we want to know "what happens next? It is how we are wired. This happened this morning and fitted nicely with the prompt "exit".…
The Journey
Josh jumped at the chance to test the new spacesuit. But was it too soon?Written for the December prompt "journey".…
Growing Pains
Donny prides himself on taking care of his customers. Someday he is going to run his own diner.…
My Dilema
Do you speak up when you see something happening that isn't right?Or does it depend on the degree of wrongness? Or how about the size of the offender? How do you know when to take a stand?…
It's All About the Money
Rick thought that dealing cards in a casino would be the ultimate retirement job and he was good at it. But was he too good?This is a true story.…
A Desperate Bluff
When a man is holding you at gunpoint, what could you say that would make a difference?Written for the 12 July prompt, "Bluff".…
The Challenge
Dan's job is to keep his family safe. When the package came, was he up to the task?Written for the June 20 prompt "fixed".…
Story Clouds
A lazy summer day and a sky full of clouds. Written for the weekend prompt: "fast".…
The Church of Little Hope Peach Pie Pageant
Who bakes the best pie? It is a simple contest with profound ramifications.…
There is no 'Team' in "I"
Jerry's success was due to his credo "Hard work always pays off." or maybe it was "Don't share the spotlight." Either way, he seemed to know how to get things done. But this is a cautionary tale for those who would emulate him.Written for the 25 January prompt: "team".Part two continues the story to support the 1 Feb. prompt "Arrive".Part three continues with 'The Catch'.…
Coffee Talk
The breakfast table is usually the place our day begins."Leadership" is the first in, I hope, a series of stories about our morning chats.The inspiration for this volume came from the 7 December 2018 prompt "Debate".Part 2, "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Assassins", was not supposed to be in this volume at all. It began as a stand-alone story about an assassin writing a self-help book to respond to the March first prompt "List". But I was having trouble making it work. Then my muse, my wife, showed me how to fix it. But I still liked the title. I apologise for any confusion this may engender.…
The Retirement Plan
Crooks can have a social conscious even if their values are a bit skewed. This is a tale of good versus evil slightly turned on its head.Written for the 30 November prompt "value" it also attempts to satisfy the four previous prompts of steal, repeat, package, and ruin.All of that packed into a five minute story. I hope you enjoy it.…
Redemption
Do you believe that marriage is a package deal? That you get the bad with the good? How many brides have said "Well, that will have to change once we are married."?Marty seems like Mister Perfect but Clara knows he has a bad habit that will have to change if they are going to have a long life together.…
Monday Musings
Do you have a greek goddess that helps you with your stories?I don't. But I am beginning to think maybe I should.…
Another BUMP Story
I am not saying this actually happened. But it could have.Written for the 19 October prompt; BUMP…