This story was written from a prompt from my daughter Serenity. She drew a picture of Princess Piggob, the half-pig half-goblin princess of Dill Pickleville and asked people to write a story about her. Here’s mine. His name was Galumf, and he was a hunter. He hunted any kind of…
Below, light shimmered and flashed between a thousand panes of glass, coming from nowhere and reflecting from everywhere. Alicia squinted, turning her face upward to the boundless dark that enveloped the space, as if the corridors of brilliance hung suspended in the void. Which, to be honest, they probably did….
Paran walked along the long, dusty road beneath a brutal sun. There was singing in the fields nearby. Men and women were gathering in the wheat, their voices strong beneath the cloudless sky. He knew the songs. His lips twitched to the words one could not quite decipher at this…
It was not much warmer in the hole he had dug for himself than it was outside it, but he eventually managed to control his convulsions. His teeth still chattered if he didn’t force them shut. He was as small as he could make himself, and he was starting to…
“Are you comfortable?” “Yes,” Albert said. “The nurses explained the procedure to your satisfaction? Any questions?” “No, I don’t think so.” “All right. I’m going to lean you back now. If you ever want me to stop, just tell me. You’re in control here.” “This is my first time” Albert…
The princess in the tower was beautiful, which was one of the reasons men made the arduous journey across the sun-scorched ruins to the monolithic stone that entombed her. Those that survived the trials, which were numerous and cunning, arrived in her suite, a colorful and well-furnished space that nevertheless…
It should go without saying that death, in its current form, is undesirable to the human condition in as far as its presence arouses questions of a spiritual nature that are no longer useful to civilization. As we move away from our pagan past and embrace the scientific reality that…
I’d been a month at my new job in the city, and I was done. I wanted to go home. So as soon as I clocked out Friday, I threw some clothes in a bag and started driving. It was a five-hour drive, a bit less if you took the…
Josh double-checked the laces on his shiny new shoes, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed out into the night. Mr. Benton was waiting in his beat-up truck at the curb. The old man gave a terse greeting, waited for Josh to buckle up, and started out into the…
Samantha woke. She thought she heard a cabinet door shut. Ben was off for the weekend with his guy friends, so Samantha slid on her slippers and went to look. There was a girl opening the fridge when Samantha entered the kitchen. She stopped guiltily. ‘Hi, Mom.” “What are you…
Walter sat on the edge of his bed and watched the snow drifting down outside his window. He’d have to go out in it soon. His costume was laid out beside him, waiting for him. He had seen the door when he pulled the hanger out of the closet. He…
I think it’s safe to tell this story now. When you’re a youth leader, you meet lots of kids. There’s lots of loud ones, and always a few whose necks you wouldn’t mind wringing. There are quiet ones, too, though, especially those in junior high who don’t know who they…