Beauty Killer Every day I go destroy the most beautiful things in the world. I’ve seen murals that made me cry from sheer awe, moments before my flamethrower melted them out of existence. “Eighteen buildings cleansed,” I say. My boss nods, impassive. “How many new occurences?” “48 yesterday, just in your area,” she says. We’re…
Muse on Monday – May 1, 2023
Happy May 1 and happy Labor Day if you’re in a country that celebrates it today. For everyone else, just welcome to a brand-new month. I’ll be traveling this month for the first time in a while, so I decided to use a picture I took on my last trip for the photo prompt this…
FunBoat™
FunBoat™ Never get a rental for a heist, especially a FunBoat™. I turned sharply. Spray drenched us. The police boat was getting closer. “Excess speed violates your rental agreement,” FunBoat™ repeated. “Silence that!” Megan screamed. I hit Mute. Silence. “Your allotted time has ended,” FunBoat™ said. “Insert $20 to continue.” We started slowing. I fed…
Muse on Monday – April 24, 2023
Do you think nature is kind or cruel? It’s both, of course, although in stories it is often cruel, or fickle at best. Nature makes a good antagonist in a story with no human bad guys, whether it is a location like a desert or the open ocean, an event like a hurricane or a…
Amid the Raindrops
Amid the Raindrops After weeks of running, I found myself in Laos. Laos is not a path to anywhere, so I stopped. My phone was off. No more dodging investigators, regulators, creditors. I could live here, learn Lao, show tourists around, maybe. Exploring my new country, I entered a temple. It was deserted and inside,…
Muse on Monday – April 17, 2023
In my job, I sometimes pick up newly-arrived international students at the airport. It’s fascinating to be able to view your own town through their eyes where everything is new and exotic. It’s also a great opportunity to learn about other cultures and how things are different. This meeting of different cultures and different worlds…
Unlimited Credit
Unlimited Credit The check came. “I’ll get this one.” “Oh, you will, eh? Which ‘you’?” “Let’s see. Do they take Mastercard?” “Use one of the visas.” “Here’s one: Randall James.” “That’s a platinum card. Save that for something big.” “How about this one: Adelbert Hanspeter.” “What?!” “What’s wrong?” “That’s my grandfather.” “Maybe it’s someone with…
The Impossible Circle
The date was December 13, 2022. That’s important, as you’ll see. I was walking to work, the rain pattering in fitful drops, not enough for an umbrella, but just enough that your coat is wet through by the time you arrive. I reached the crosswalk on 38th and Maple and retreated under the canopy of…
Muse on Monday – April 10, 2023
Today is the last day of a 5-day weekend we got at work for Easter. The nice thing about vacations is that they are a change from the normal routine. This is why a lot of stories take place when people are on vacation since they are in new places and having new experiences. However,…
A Bunch of Triangles
A Bunch of Triangles “What were you thinking?” I blushed. “It was an art project, sir.” “Art? What about the Prime Directive? We do not interfere with cultures that haven’t made extraterrestrial contact.” “It was just a bunch of triangles . . .” “Yeah, 500-foot-tall triangles! That’s not going to go unnoticed!” “It was mostly…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 