Stories tagged “stranger”
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The Key To Locks That Don't Exist
She was walking through a shallow stream, one foot infront of the other. Arms out, trying to balance on make believe stepping stones. Her eyes closed to the shadows from the eastern canopy, her breathing steady with the low hum from deep within the for...
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He's Funny, Vita
“Come on, Nadya! We’re gonna be late and you know how your mama gets…” “Alright. I don’t want her to be mad at you. Mama’s scary when she’s mad.” “Yeah, she is.” Vita and Nadya weaved their way through the crowd, their small statu...
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Perceptive
“It’s alright, little ones. I don’t mind.” The man had a strange accent as well. It made Vita think of the cold drinks her mama made sometimes in the summer. “You’re from an ice-land, aren’t you, mister!” Vita said, her dark head cocked...
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Invitation
“Nadya. I do not care how many times Cato comes in. He needs guidance, and you know that full well. He will perhaps be a fortune teller himself someday.” Nadya rolled her eyes and squirmed. Her mother grabbed her arm and kneeled down to look her in...
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A Stranger Loving World
No one on the ground seemed to notice. Fire. At the time nobody would have guessed that from this cataclysm would emerge a stranger loving world.
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The Peacock Flies Away
“Yeah, Chris,” said the man on the line, “but that would mean—” Silence. “John?” Chris asked. “John…you there?” The phone disconnected and beeped shrilly. “Curse these stupid cell phones,...
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Broken Staff
“Phone’s out,” Timkins said, placing the receiver back into the cradle of the phone set. “Then try it AGAIN!” the Senator roared. “I absolutely have to speak with the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding the proper proced...
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Radio Silence
“Aww, frick, dude! W-T-F?” José said as he and Bobby pulled up to a red light. “What the heck is up with your radio?” “I don’t know!” Bobby said, switching the dial. He heard static. Now and then an occasional...
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Pentagone
He finally had the proof he sought. He didn’t know why it had taken him so long to find it, but an attack was imminent. The signal had been clear enough: 1. Pick up the phone. 2. Dial the Pentagon. 3. Blow into it once. 4. Hang up. 5. Wait one mi...
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Googleplexed
“Whoa!” “What is it, Paul?” Tiffany asked, putting down her granola bar. “That’s not right,” Paul said, pointing to the graph. It was a real-time graph of how many people were accessing the search engine. It ha...
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In Real Time
From a transmission on FOX News, October 31, 2009: “We are just receiving word that a nuclear warhead has just been detonated on American soil. The—the bomb seems to have gone off over Washington. It appears that the entire federal district...
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Terror Hits Home
From the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, November 1, 2009: Joe Biden was sworn in as President aboard Air Force One at 1:13 this morning. He assumes the mantle of the presidency in the wake of a devastating series of attacks on the United States: Washington,...
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Musings from the Blogosphere
Samples of selected blogs, November 1, 2009: . . .all i kno is i ws sittin n front of the tv with my bf and we were watchin a will ferrel movie n all of a suddn the tv changed and it was sum news guy talkin bout a bomb goin off in the capitol n i jus s...
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Meanwhile, at Gitmo…
From Reuters, November 1, 2009: GUANTÁNAMO BAY, CUBA (AP) – American officials are still trying to contain the mass riots that are going on in the American outpost, say U.S. Army officials. Upon hearing the attacks that occurred on Halloween, th...
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Diversions
Harold ended the call and abruptly threw his cell phone into the wall, shattering it. I run an airport, for crying out loud, he inwardly fumed, not a Ritz-Carlton. There was a knock at the wall. Jenny Saunders was standing in the doorway with a pained,...
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What's Up?
Carl walked down the street in Philadelphia. Some dumb punks were graffitiing on the walls of a closed haberdashery, and the police were on the scene. Officers were getting sprayed with paint from aerosol cans while onlookers were shouting “Polic...
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Shutting Down the Gateway
From The New York Times, November 2, 2009: ST. LOUIS (AP) – The Gateway to the West is suffering the terrible and tragic phenomenon of massive riots today as tensions have been stretched beyond their breaking points. Violence first erupted at the...
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Water, Water, Everywhere
The sky was overcast, the clouds impossibly darkening the sky. Even the rain looked black. The little girl tugged on her mother’s coat sleeve. “I’m thirsty,” she whined. “I know you’re thirsty,” the mother said...
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Drift
From the London Globe and Mail, November 4, 2009: REUTERS — Top scientists and military are being called into London so as to devise a plan by which the extent of nuclear radiation on the Isles’ soil shall be minimalised. The matter was tab...
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Delayed Gratification
Nora swallowed part of her doughnut, asked, “Good news?”, and took another bite. “Yes,” Ted responded, head cocked so the telephone receiver would not fall. “GlaxoSmithKline’s willing to front us some cancer drugs. A...
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Haiku
breathless, eyebrows rise unknowing recognition is it really you?
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A Stranger's Revenge
He throws her out the bay window, her body thudding to the ground. He turns to face the rest of the room. “Anyone else care for a taste?” he snarls. People begin to scatter, seeking whatever shelter they think will keep them from being ripp...
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The Visitor - Revised
The night was biting cold, but the barrel fire was tall and hot. Sparks rose like burning fireflies into the sky. A dozen of us were huddled in close when somebody passed a bottle into the circle. I had already had a pint of Old Crow myself and was fee...
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Stranger at the Laundry
The last thing I want to do right now is to go to the laundry, but I’m sure I’ll be on duty later today, so I go anyway. I feel very conspicuous, seeing as I’m wearing my only clean cloak, a sunshine-lemon yellow. The laundry I use is...
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Grim's Soul Mate
Shocked beyond belief, because this woman isn’t flinching or running from my face, and she actually wants to talk to me. “You don’t know what its like,” I murmur, and turn back to the machine, scythe in hand. With a soft, tender...