Have Words Will Write
Short stories in a variety of genres
In one mid-August, I was driving through Ann Morrison Park when a mother duck walked in front of my car and gave me this look. The best way I can describe the look as if she said, “I dare you to run over me.” I stopped just enough to see her over the hood of …
Read More “Tell me the truth. Are you going to leave me?” Mark Reynolds stands on the sidewalk on a cool summer morning. Mark’s heart sinks. He stands frozen, wanting Ellen to talk to him.
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I routinely like to sit coffee shops, observe people, and write about what I see in a notebook or on my laptop.. Occasionally, someone will walk up to me and stick up a conversation. On a rarer occasion, I will strike up a conversation with someone who looks interesting. On this one occasion, a stranger …
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In a city close to its’ center resides a neighborhood. A major street runs through the middle of the neighborhood. On the north side of that street stand two buildings.
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This story came to me on a dreary day in late October. I was sitting at a table on the second floor of my local library. I could not help but look out the window and the barren trees. Through gloom and disaster, I wanted to end on a positive note. I wrote this as …
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Jeff puts the key into the lock. He turns it. He walks into the house that was his parents. Entering the security code gets the alarm disabled. He takes off his overcoat and hangs it on a hook. Walking from the foray past the stairs. He enters the large living room. A strange feeling haunts …
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Rays from the morning sun kiss the tallest gravestones first. The warmth of the sun’s rays slowly fills the cemetery. Marble slabs reveal the names of those who lay beneath. The town below stirs. Some head to work at the sawmill, while other head to the schools and shops. For more than a century, …
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In the breakroom of Big K Enterprises stands alone security guard. He savors the coffee from a Styrofoam cup, while not wanting to spill it on his uniform. An older, slightly overweight security guard strode in. “I see you had no trouble finding the coffee machine.” “I always start my day with a good cup …
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Once upon a time, a farmer had a problem with the mice living in his barn. Every time he would get a cat and send it out in the barn, the cat would disappear. When the farmer sent his dog into the barn, the dog would sit and watch the mice eat the farmer’s grain. …
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