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Sif moved casually through the streets of the town, chewing on her thoughts. The main road with the shops had been cleared by Helga earlier. She felt the lingering presence of her sister Bairn along the avenue. The smell of woodsmoke was strong on the wind. She caught the scent of roasting meat. Hrist must…
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Sif walked through the piled drifts, moving towards the woods without haste. The storm had stopped blowing after Ulfrun had commanded it, but the sun had not come out until the next day, and Sif had not felt like leaving the fireside while the clouds still hung overhead. She trudged through the snow, knowing she…
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Sif pulled back the curtain and looked out across the blinding snow. The gales were so strong they were blowing the flakes sideways. Ulfrun was at the fire, gazing deep into the flames. Sif dropped the heavy fabric, shutting out the cold. She joined her sister at the hearth. “Can you see anything today?” she…
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Didn’t you tell me Not to eat my own brain with my thoughts Those intrusive falsehoods that wind their way in Like worms or spiders Those thoughts that tunnel through the sponge Which is soft and delicious and easy to digest. Didn’t you tell me not to do that? You told me to call you…
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Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror Count all the scars that have somehow shown up in my Gray hairs and smile lines and crow’s feet And I wonder if this is what people see when they look at me Or if they see something different than the pain That I feel is plainly…
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Once, I was called an onion as a compliment. I think it’s true. An onion has a thick outer skin that protects the rest of the bulb. Each layer is thick, until you get closer to the center, where the heart of the onion flakes apart if you touch it just right. It has visible…
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Hey friend, I know sometimes you get sad, and it feels like there isn’t really a reason. I get that way, too. I just wanted you to know that you aren’t alone in that. It may feel so silly, because you have nothing to be sad about. But I’ve learned something that may help you…
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Where there is love, there will also be the warmth of the summer Hugging all the aches that rest in your bones Papering you with delicate designs of affection Until you glisten like the rain drops on the petals of a red rose. Where there is love, there will also be the still silence of…
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I will not glance behind To the places I have been Where harm was met with mournful prayers That pleaded for an end. I will not glance behind The events there are at rest I will leave the past where it was laid Not clutched against my breast. I will not glance behind That way…
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My summer plan is to publish a collection of novellas set in the world of my novels, The World Between and The Chaos Within. The three stories span a great length of time. One takes place before the events of either book, one takes place concurrently to both books, and one takes place after the…
The Quick and the Dead
Short stories. Creative experiments. Ideas that might not pan out.
The Quick and the Dead 