Category Archives: Action

The Warrior – A thrilling, historical short story

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The fog was heavy and low to the ground as Kendra stepped outside, keeping her movements stealthy so as not to waken her family. Nols, the dog, ran up to greet her, and Kendra quickly offered him the bone she had brought to keep him quiet. Across the way, Kendra could barely make out old Elbert. He was supposed to be keeping watch, but she could tell that he was fast asleep, propped up against the pig sty. She drew her cloak tight against the chill of the early morning air and began walking briskly. Only moments later, though, Kendra’s chest fell as she heard the tell tale sound of her three year old brother, Aidan, softly crying her name.

“Aidan, go back inside.” Kendra whispered, harshly, as she shooed at him with her hand.

Aidan’s face screwed up, signaling the immanent arrival of a temper tantrum, and Kendra heaved a sigh of capitulation. It was either take him with her, or give up her chance to go at all.

“Aidan, you have to do what I tell you to do,” she hissed, as she grabbed him by his shoulder, noticing that his shoes were on the wrong feet, “Or I won’t take you to see the kittens later.”

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The fog still hadn’t lifted by the time that Kendra and Aidan reached the banks of the river. She worried that Osric wouldn’t let her practice as she directed her little brother towards a cluster of rocks nearby, instructing him to play quietly.

Her excitement knew no bounds as she rushed over to the small fishing hut and pushed open the door.

“Osric, I’m ready.” she declared.

Osric was seventeen to her fifteen, but, out of all the boys in their settlement, he was the only one that didn’t treat her as if she were just a silly girl.

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The Crazy Life – A dramatic short story

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Jimmy Ryan was spinning crazily around the stage and Laura couldn’t take her eyes off him. His long, dark hair whipped around his head like a flag, sending sweat flying through the smoke filled air.

Around her, the girls were screaming his name and Laura tried to join in, but her voice was gone. She settled for shoving her way through the crowd to get a few inches closer to the stage.

Marcus Jane, the lead guitar player, strutted over in his skin tight, white leather pants and treated the crowd to a solo that sent tingles down Laura’s spine. Like everyone else in the packed arena, she flicked her lighter on and held it above her head as she swayed along to the haunting melody.

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The Holdup – A dramatic short story

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Mike Webb woke up feeling anxious. This was not a new feeling for him. On most days, there was a barely controlled anxiety that thrummed, low and steady, just beneath the surface. This anxiety, though, was made of sterner stuff, and it percolated throughout his entire body as he slowly went through his morning routine. By the time that he pulled his sweater over his button down shirt, and smoothed his hands down his khaki pants, though, Mike had managed to tamp it down enough so that he felt that he could function as he went through his day.

Mike decided to forgo breakfast, (his stomach was just too upset) but he did have a small glass of milk. He washed the glass, dried it carefully, and placed it back into its customary position inside the cabinet. He then dried the sink, sorted through a few bills and put them into neat stacks on his desk, and, on his way out of the apartment, made a mental note that there was a small stain on the carpet by the front door that he would need to scrub when he got home.

On the way to his car, a neighbor waved to him. Mike nodded quickly and looked immediately down at his feet. He had never felt comfortable making small talk with people, and almost always went out of his way to avoid it if he could. His girlfriend, Karen, gently poked fun of him, pointing out that, if not for her pursuit of him, he would never have spoken a single word to her. What made Mike sad was knowing that she was right.

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The Mountain – A dramatic short story

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“Have a look at that. Pictures don’t do it justice, do they?”

“No, they certainly don’t.” Andie yanked one of the two sweaters that she was wearing up and over her head. She stuffed it into her pack as she stole a sidelong glance at her climbing guide. The kid was like a rooster strutting around the pen, all puffed up and full of himself. The fact that he was one of the top guides on the mountain circuit was what kept her agreeable, period.

“I will never forget my first time seeing Everest,” Dan Hanson went on, “Did I mention that I was only 23 at the time?”

“You might have mentioned it a time or two.” Andie unclipped her water bottle from her waistband and took a long drink. She let her eyes wander around their group, wondering why Dan had singled her out for his attention. Perhaps he’d already regaled everyone else of his accomplishments and it was just her turn to humor him.

“Well, I mean, word gets around, I guess.”

“It does.” Andie crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to take the hint.

“Well, I should check on some of the others.” Dan smiled, tightly, and moved off.

Andie watched him smoothly integrate himself into another group’s conversation and breathed a sigh of relief. She was in no mood for pointless small talk. Hadn’t been, for a long, long time now.

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