CONNELL WAYNE REGNER: The Trapped Submarine

Amusing, Submissions, , , , , ,

Note: This story is a sequel to The Juggernaut.

“Keep tapping, Piper. They’ll find us.”

Underwater archaeologists, on hearing the tapping, secured a line and brought them up.

At their research facility, staff started opening the craft’s hatch.

The captain smiled. “We’re finally home!”

“Thanks for never giving up, Cap.”

Inside, archaeologists found human remains and a whiskey bottle.

Connell Wayne Regner had successfully avoided writing creatively since he wrote spontaneous lyrics to music many years ago. Although from a linguistic background, he has serendipitously succumbed to fiction after spontaneously creating bedtime stories for his children. His other dabblings can be found at paragraphplanet and wtdmagazine.wordpress.com.

ALEX SINCLAIR: A Culinary Quibble

Amusing, Submissions, , ,

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I just don’t like fish. It’s the little bones, you see.”

“Oh. Well, I’m afraid it’s all there is, apart from bread,” he replied.

“I hate bread!” she fumed.

“Then go complain,” he replied. “I think that guy with the beard and sandals arranged the catering.”

Alex Sinclair was born in the winter of 1973 in Nottingham, England, and, on the cusp of his 40th birthday, is still trapped there. He longs for a looser, more liberal society where his own shaky morality and absurd beliefs could find succor and praise. Until that day, he bides his time, waiting to pounce like a graying and jaded ocelot. To amuse him and occupy all available time for the next 40 years of his life, he has just become father to twins, who, though but 3 months old, are acutely aware that daddy may not be quite right in the head. This small matter is overlooked as he can expertly and lovingly feed, burp, and nappy change each baby in just 15 minutes, whilst also attend to cooking duties downstairs with good humour. He lives with his long-suffering partner Shona, and cats David and Mogwai.

 

MICHELLE WANG: Troubled Teens

Amusing, Submissions, , , , , ,

“You can’t be serious!” I punched the vault. All this work for nothing.

I felt a buzz in my pocket, and my phone illuminated through my jeans.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?” the voice snapped.

“I forgot the combin-”

“17-8-35. It has only been the weekend, man. Hurry up, class is starting.”

Michelle Wang is a student who is part of the creative writing community at Cerritos High School. Her inspiration comes from imagination with experience. Having written most of her works fictionally, writing a bio is not her forte.

CHARLES D. TARLTON: Prepared

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

I turned back to get my notebook; I did not want another wasted day.

Yesterday, I’d seen an old woman licking catsup and mustard splotches off discarded McDonald’s wrappers on the Embarcadero, and I had not written any of  it up; I did not have my notebook.

Well, never again.

Charles D. Tarlton is a retired politics professor now trying to write stories and poems.

RJO HERMAN: Old Woman Hiking

Amusing, Submissions, , , , , ,

“I wish I had their legs,” I hollered  at the mother as her two girls raced ahead on the path.

“Well, they get to go to bed at 8 PM,” she chuckled back.

Such a jolly, inane exchange.

Then I thought, wait a second, what if I went to bed at 8?

rJo Herman dreams of writing the one perfect tale her grandchildren will tell their grandchildren.  She lives in the Colorado high desert with her grey striped companion, Emil Catt I.

RICHARD WHEAL: Unfair

Amusing, Submissions, , , , ,

It wasn’’t George’s fault and, as usual, it was most unfair. He hadn’’t been the only one smoking. The school had been really dry after the hot weather, and full of unnecessary paper.

And he had only struck one match and he hadn’’t even flicked it.

Not very much, anyway.

Richard Wheal is a writer and trainee carpenter who live in a forest in Dorset and spends a great deal of time gathering winter fuel.

 

PAUL AMELCHENKO: Back Again Some Day

Amusing, Submissions, , , , ,

The man stood on his lawn, scarf snug, hat pulled low. He watched children making snow angels, giggling.

Then, a scream.

The attacker tore into the man’s arm. He severed his head, mauled his face.

The assault lasted only seconds, but the memory remains. The day our dog ate Frosty.

Paul Amelchenko is a freelance creative director/copywriter and a lecturer at the University of Miami. He teaches courses in Copywriting for Digital & Traditional Media, Advertising Concept & Copywriting and Portfolio Development. www.paulamelchenko.com

 

CHRISTIAN BLUNSCHI: We’ll Never Know

Amusing, Odd, Submissions, , ,

What in the world was she thinking as she stepped out onto the ledge of her 34th storey window?

We will never find out, because it was only seconds later that the feline revolution began and she was dragged back inside her studio apartment and devoured by her beloved cat.

Christian spends his days in a day job and occasionall, his mind will wander to strange places. He has some artwork on display at the following website: http://swissozculture.org.au/meet-our-members/creative-members/christian-blunschi/.

 

AARON BLACK: What Lurks Beneath?

Odd, Submissions, , , ,

Something was in the basement. She heard it creak and step and the stairs groaned.

Hand on handle; what lurked behind the door? She waited.

Nothing came. Creak, step, and groan. She twisted the knob, scared.

Nothing came, black, blank, void.

What was behind the door? Her mind was all.

As often as he can be Aaron Black is a freelance blogger and fiction writer. He spent ten years researching and writing a screenplay about Atlantis and now likes short stories because any more rejection letters from studios that made movies like From Justin to Kelly and Catwoman would make him bitter.

 

BLANCHE BAXTER: Sad’s Story

Submissions, Touching, ,

Sad was a girl with no history.

Dropped at a shelter as a baby. Foster system: tossed in the wind. Sad’s the only name that took.

Tear-streaked, walking the streets, cold seeped through her skin.

“Come in,” said the man. She did.

Now she knows a new form of sadness.

Blanche Baxter is a freelance writer and storyteller rom Pittsburgh PA. She loves a good story, big or small.