Reading Report for October/November 2024. From Jeff Baker. November 18, 2024.

Posted on November 19, 2024 by jeffbaker307

Reading Report October/November 2024.

Am still on my Julian Hawthorne jag. Ordered “The Strange Recollections Of Martha Klemm” which collects his two Klemm stories. “Absolute Evil” and “A Goth From Boston.” The intro explains that the first story was reprinted in 1919 as “Island Of Ghosts” with a minister recast as a Professor. This is the version I read in “Strange Island Stories.” So, I finished reading the original. A fast-paced horror-adventure with Klemm as the protagonist.

Read Hawthorne’s other Martha Klemm story “A Goth From Boston.” Nothing supernatural here, just a romantic adventure with a lot of the emphasis on the adventure. There are hints of the plotline from “Absolute Evil” in similarities to a situation mentioned by a character who had visited an island with a woman and a little girl but it isn’t played like a sequel.

Worth mentioning that there are several literary references in the story and all of them are to works still familiar (and in print!!!) just over a century after this story first saw print in “All-Story Magazine” in 1919. Including a line from Walt Whitman who Hawthorne had actually known…

From Hawthorne’s “Six Cent Sam’s” I read “Greave’s Disappearance,” a mystery featuring an impossible vanishment. Even though I could figure out how it was done I didn’t see the ending twist coming! Also read “Raxworthy’s Treasure,” a lighter story with clever touches but nonetheless a crime story. It involves a miser, an inheritance a mysterious house and a ghost!

And I also read Hawthorne’s “A Goth From Boston,” one of the stories he published a hundred years ago in “All-Story.” Cirsova Press has been republishing them. A fun adventure/romance. Too bad people aren’t writing stories like this today!

Finally read Frank Stockton’s “The Bee-Man Of Orn,” which I had confused with Dahl’s “Royal Jelly.”

Read an A.R.C. of ‘Nathan Burgoine’s excellent “Upon the Midnight Queer.” His second collection, featuring Gay retellings of Christmas stories. I’d read some of them before on his blog. Burgoine is an absolute master of his craft.

Read the excellent weekly stories posted by Kaje Harper and the equally excellent monthly story E. H. Timms writes for the Flash Fiction Draw Challenge. (Links for those are on this site to the right of this column.)

For the Halloween season I listened to a reading (on You Tube) of Arthur Gray’s “The Everlasting Club.” Possibly one of my favorite ghost stories. If there’s ever an anthology of college-set ghost stories, this one belongs in there.

Re-read (online!) a revised version of Jerome Steuart’s “The Autumn Woods.” He’s finally bringing it out in a book, and there’s even an exhibit featuring the artwork he did for the stories in Dayton (I think!) He’s expanded the stories and I’ll link to his blog. He’s that good! https://jeromestueart.com/category/autumn-woods/

Stumbled across an anthology in the library: “Witches: Wicked, Wild and Wonderful,” ed. By Paula Guran. From it, I read “The Witch’s Headstone,” by Neil Gaiman, which became part of “The Graveyard Book.” Also read Nancy Holder’s “The Only Way to Fly,” which was also in the anthology “100 Wicked Little Witch Stories” where I read the next few selections on this list. “The Only Way to Fly” takes “Bewitched” to its logical extremes.

Read Cynthia Ward’s “The Robbery.” A nifty story with a nasty ending. (also in the Guran anthology.)

Read Adam-Troy Castro’s “Vend-A-Witch.” It’s a one-joke story but the joke is very funny!

Read Steve Rasnic Tem’s “A Hundred Wicked Little Witches,” a grim story that ties in with the idea of witch hysteria.

Read Basil Wells’ “Wall Of Darkness,” a story from the ‘40s in “100 Wicked…” That’s the great thing about those old Barnes and Noble anthologies; I’d never heard of Basil Wells.

Started reading Julian Hawthorne’s novel “Sara Was Judith.” It’s a page turner!

Read two stories in the Library Of America’s complete stories of David Barthelme: “The Piano Player,” and “The Joker’s Greatest Triumph.”

Read Mack Reynolds’ story “Mind Over Mayhem” for his birthday. Fun 1950s crime story from before he started writing sci-fi. Reminded me a little of Pronzini.

Got Graham Greene’s “Our Man In Havana,” if only for the oft-parodied title. First book I bought at the new West Side Barnes and Noble in Wichita. Read a couple of pages.

Started reading Julian Hawthorne’s fairy tale “Callodon.” And speaking of Hawthorne I have been delighting in “Twenty Days With Julian & Little Bunny By Papa.” The book is the segment from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Journals about taking care of young Julian and a pet rabbit while his wife and daughter went to visit her mother. Nothing really eventful happens in this but the account is charming! This is not the dour and gloomy Hawthorne of “Young Goodman Brown,” it is a sweet father realizing how much time goes into caring for his child. It made me hungry for the vegetables they ate!

—jeff baker, November 19, 2024.

Posted in 'Nathan Burgoine, Anthologies, Books, Collection, E. H. Timms, Jerome Stueart, Julian Hawthorne, Kaje Harper, LGBT, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Neil Gaiman, Paula Wyant, Paula's Prompts, Reading, Reading Report, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Come Listen To “The Playlist Of My Younger Days.” Friday Flash Fics From Mike Mayak. (November 15, 2024.)

Posted on November 15, 2024 by jeffbaker307

The Playlist Of My Younger Days

by Mike Mayak

“Oh wow,” Max Clyborn said looking around at the big room in the brick building in Old Town. I think I was in here when it was still a warehouse, but this…”

“Great, isn’t it?” Denny Smith said. The rainbow colored light from the displays on the wall reflecting off his broad grin. He was 24, built like a soccer player, wearing sweats and a grey tank top with the Bisexual Pride flag on the front. Max was his Grandfather and was about three times older than Denny.

“So, you hang out here?” Max asked.

“Yeah,” Denny said. Well, not hang out really. Just come in here sometimes. Place is busier on the weekend or at night when the College is in session. You want a booth or sit at the bar?”

“Bar’s fine,” Max said.

“Beer and chips?” Denny asked.

“Soda for me,” Max said.

“Hey, I gotta go use the men’s…uh, the restroom. Be right back.” Denny said walking toward the doors beside the little stage.

Max waved and started walking around the room. He looked up at the reddish-haired kid (“They’re all kids these days” he thought) in the D. J. booth.

The kid looked familiar and not a lot older than Denny.

“Uh, excuse me,” Max said, glad they hadn’t started playing loud music. “Your last name isn’t Wyatt, is it?”

The kid looked down from the booth.

“Uh, no but that was my Mom’s maiden name,” he said. “I got a lot of Wyatt family.”

“Any chance one of them was a Tom Wyatt who went to Millington College back in the 1970s?”

The kid brightened. “Yeah, that was my Mom’s Uncle. He used to wear a Millington t-shirt sometimes. Me, I’m going to Wichita State.”

“He and I were friends back then.” Max said. “You look just like him. We lost touch and I saw he had…passed in the Alumni newsletter about five years ago.”

“Yeah,” the kid said. “He didn’t like saying ‘passed away.’ He said it made it sound like you’d just farted.”

They both laughed.

“Oh, I’m T. J.” he said. “T. J. Axton.”

“Max Clayborn.” Max said. “Hey, do you know Denny? He’s my Grandson.”

“Yeah,” T. J. said with a smile. “We know each other.”

“Small world,” Max said. “Well, nice meeting you. I got some chips we have to order.”

Max waved goodbye and walked over to the booth.

If things had been a lot different, he and Tom would have stayed together after college, Max mused. But then he wouldn’t have met Melanie, fallen in love and Denny wouldn’t exist right now.

Max sighed. “The playlist of my younger days,” he said to the open air.

A minute or so later, Denny came walking around the D. J. booth giving a thumbs-up to T. J. He stopped at the bar and spoke to the bartender who started getting their order.

Denny brought the drinks over to their table.

“Chips will be here in a minute,” he said.

“Good,” Max said sipping his soda.

Things were certainly different than in 1971, he said.

“So, Max said with a smile. “How long have you and T. J. the Deejay been dating?”

“About…hey, how’d you know?” Denny said with a laugh. “Did he tell you?”

“No,” Max said with a soft smile. “But he looks like the nice kind of guy someone would date.”

—end—

Posted in Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, LGBT, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Flash Fiction Draw Challenge November 2024 Results! The Stories! (November 10, 2024) —-Mike Mayak

Posted on November 10, 2024 by jeffbaker307
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hi! I’m Mike, A.K.A. Jeff Baker.

The draws for the November 2024 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge were:

A Science Fiction Story

Set in a Western Ghost Town

Involving a Snow Globe

E. H. Timms wrote: “Round A Globe” https://thinkingthinking123.blogspot.com/

And (as Jeff Baker) I wrote: “Let It Snow!” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2024/11/07/let-it-snow-flash-fiction-draw-challenge-story-for-november-2024-from-jeff-baker-november-7-20240/

Thanks for participating, and for reading and remember it’s never too late to write your own story, post it in the comments and I’ll link it here.

We’ll be back with another draw on December 2nd, 2024.

Thanks again!

—–mike

Posted in E. H. Timms, Fiction, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, Science Fiction, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

This Must Be What Legs Diamond Said To Dutch Schultz. Friday Flash Fics as by Mike Mayak (I like long titles!) November 8th, 2024

Posted on November 8, 2024 by jeffbaker307

This Must Be What Legs Diamond Said To Dutch Schultz

by Mike Mayak

“Yeah. I’m downtown right now. Yeah, I got a burner phone, you think I’m stupid? Yeah, I got the time. And the place. Millar’s Drugstore over on Fifth and Main. Yeah. Two-Fifteen tomorrow afternoon. It’s when the guy takes the deposit to the bank. Yeah, yeah. Same guy, the older guy. Yeah, he walks there. He’ll be in the alley for about a minute. Yeah, we grab it when he’s in there. Yeah, I got my ski mask, like you said. No, no I won’t be wearing anything with any logo on it. And I’m not stupid enough to wear my work shirt with MYRON HERKINS on the front. That’d be like some baseball player wearing his jersey to steal a deposit from someone.

What? No, I’m not in a motel room. And I didn’t find a phone booth. I’m on the first floor of the Library. The big one downtown. You know, with the big couch by the window, that’s where I am now. Whaddya mean I should keep my voice down? This damn cheap phone you can’t hear me unless I really speak up. Hang on a minute, will ya? Security guy wants to ask me something…”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Actually written not too far from where I took the prompt pic in the Library a few months ago.—-mike

Posted in crime, Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Let It Snow! Flash Fiction Draw Challenge Story for November 2024, from Jeff Baker. (November 7, 20240)

Posted on November 7, 2024 by jeffbaker307
Photo by Juliana Stein on Pexels.com

Let It Snow!

By Jeff Baker

We’d walked on the artificial wooden boards (and I knew what “wood” was because Team G, which I’m on, had done a report on it for school) and had seen the Solooen where they drank and shot people and the barns where they kept the horses. Then Dad/Mom said he/she had a “surprise” for me.

We walked between two of the old buildings and turned toward the edge of the little street, opposite where we’d paid our admission and came in. The buildings were perfect for the period (1870’s, I’d been studying it!) and Dad/Mom said “So are you ready to do your school report on the Murcan Frontier West?”

“Yes, Sir/Ma’am,” I said.

“Well, you’ll need something to show the class and to prove you were here,” He/She said.

We walked into a little wooden building that had fake faded lettering on its fake glass window.

Team J had done a report on “glass,” but their visual display had dropped and broken. I’d tried not to laugh.

Inside was a shop, a real shop. Not like the places you go on screen to order something. There were actual items on display on shelves and counters and (what I assumed to be) a real person watching both of us.

“You have one of your birthdays coming up,” Dad/Mom said. “How about getting one of these?”

He pointed to a row of clear glass balls, some of them small, a couple as big as my head. All of them with small figures inside. They each had a little base attached so they wouldn’t roll away.

“These are called snow globes,” Dad/Mom said. “They used to make a lot more of them. Watch this.”

He picked one of the medium sized ones up and shook it and held it out to me. The ball was full of liquid and little white flakes I hadn’t noticed. They swirled around like a snowstorm.

“I’ve seen snow!” I said. “When we took the hoverflyer up North, remember?”

“Take a good look inside,” Dad/Mom said.

I stared. The little model inside was a miniature replica of the little street we’d been walking along and exploring. What had been called a “Ghost Town.”

“You want it?” Dad/Mom asked with a warm smile. I nodded, smiling.

“Did you notice? It’s got the name of the place that used to be here on it?” Dad/Mom asked.

I hadn’t noticed. I carefully took the globe and tilted it until the flakes fell away from the words on the base of the little town: “Losvegis.”

“Happy Birthday!” Dad/Mom said.

I held the globe tight as we took off in the hoverflyer.

—end—

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The draws for the November 2024 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge were A Science Fiction Story, involving a Snow Globe set in a Ghost Town. This story uses the characters and setting of “Continental Divide,” a story I posted back in July. —-jeff

Posted in Continental Divide, Fiction, LGBT, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, Science Fiction, Short-Stories | Leave a comment

Flash Fiction Draw Challenge Draws, November 2024 (A Day Late!) From Mike Mayak. (November 5, 2024.)

Posted on November 5, 2024 by jeffbaker307
Photo by Sebastian Voortman on Pexels.com

First, here’s the prompts for the November 2024 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge. Then my usual long-winded explanation:

A Science Fiction Story

Involving A Snow Globe

Set in A Western Ghost Town

Now, on to the details.

Hi! I’m Mike Mayak, I also write as Jeff Baker and I’m the current moderator for the monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge, which was started by ‘Nathan Burgoine a few years ago and carried on by Cait Gordon and Jeffrey Ricker. It’s a monthly writing challenge mainly for stress-free fun that anyone can play.

Here’s how it works: the first Monday of every month I draw three cards; a heart, a diamond and a club. These correspond to a list naming a genre, a setting and an object that must appear in the story. Participants write up a flash fiction story, 1,000 words or less, post it to their website and link it here in the comments. I’ll post the results (including, hopefully, one of my own!)

I’m a day late with this because I’ve been stressed-out.

As I’m no good making videos I did the drawing offstage. So, the results were the Ace of Hearts (a Science Fiction Story), the Eight of Diamonds (A Western Ghost Town) and the Four of Clubs (A Snow Globe.) So we will write a Science Fiction Story, set in a Western Ghost Town, involving A Snow Globe.

We’ll have the results here in this same space around Monday November 11th, 2024.

So, get to writing and I’ll post the results next week! And I’m putting the 2024 Flash Draw sheet at the end of this message, again! (* indicates those have been used.)

Thanks for playing, and I’ll see you in about week!

And have fun!

——mike

Flash Draw Sheet for 2024 (“*” indicates prompt has been used.)

Clubs

*A A Slippery Slide

*2 A Rubber Duck

*3 Warm Woolen Mittens

*4 A Snow Globe

5 Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers

*6 A Pepper Mill

*7. A Giant Mallet

*8 A Giant Penny

* 9 A Box of Rubber Bands

*10 A Grapefruit

J A Cellphone

*Q A Dumpster

*K A Comic Book

Hearts

*A. Science Fiction

2 A Romance

3 Paranormal

*4 A Mystery

* 5 A Thriller

*6 An Adventure Story

*7. A Bedtime Story

*8 A Monster Story

*9 A Fantasy

*10 A Horror Story

*J A Crime Story

*Q A Melodrama

*K A Legend

Diamonds

*A A Burger Place

* 2 A Herd of Horses

*3 A Roomful of Hats

*4 An Empty Gymnasium

*5 The Temple of Diana In Greece

*6 A Field of Lettuce

7 A Haunted House

*8 A Western Ghost Town

9 A Greenhouse

*10 A Giant Teepee

*J A Costume Shop

*Q A Cake Shop

*K An Outdoor Stage

Posted in 'Nathan Burgoine, Cait Gordon, Jeffrey Ricker, Mike Mayak, Monthly Flash Fiction Draw Challenge | 2 Comments

Rainbow Snippets: A Rainbow And The Moon.” Jeff Baker, November 2, 2024.

Posted on November 2, 2024 by jeffbaker307
Photo by Jacek Pobu0142ocki on Pexels.com

Every week we post six lines from a work of ours, a work-in-progress or published or a recommendation of someone else’s work with at least one LGBT character. Posted at Rainbow Snippets here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/963484217054974

For my occasional snippet, here is part of a story I wrote from one of the last of the prompts Paula posted on her website. https://ptwyant.com/

The prompt was two words: “It’s coming.” So I channeled my inner Ray Bradbury and wrote “Look Down Fair Moon.” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2024/11/01/look-down-fair-moon-a-special-friday-flash-fics-story-by-jeff-baker-november-1st-2024/

Here’s our first snippet:

“It’s coming,” Raymundo said, rushing into our living room from the kitchen. Eyes big, black hair dripping with sweat, somehow looking pale. An Aztec whose gods had actually shown up to watch the sacrifice. “Doug, it’s coming.”

“I know,” I say from my place, glued to the sofa watching the cable news.

“No, it’s coming now!” Raymundo says.

Here’s a little more:

“Big. Swelling. Gray-blue beach-ball not blending with the afternoon sky but big. White with shadows. Falling. Here, right here.”

The news anchors are displaying a graphic depicting the Moon spiraling in it’s orbit, heading toward Earth. Now heading actually toward US.

We’d opted not to try and flee; where would we go?

See you all soon. —–jeff

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“Look Down Fair Moon,” A Special Friday Flash Fics Story by Jeff Baker. November 1st, 2024.

Posted on November 1, 2024 by jeffbaker307

Look Down Fair Moon

by Jeff Baker

(Title from Walt Whitman)

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This story was written from the last prompt posted by Paula Wyant. Two words: “It’s Coming.” I sometimes used her suggestions on her “Paula’s Prompts” feature on her site and the picture of the rising Moon went into it too. I always enjoyed Paula’s words (although we never met) and how she made the “Rainbow Snippets” https://www.facebook.com/groups/963484217054974 Facebook group a welcoming little community. This story’s for her.

—–jeff

“It’s coming,” Raymundo said, rushing into our living room from the kitchen. Eyes big, black hair dripping with sweat, somehow looking pale. An Aztec whose gods had actually shown up to watch the sacrifice. “Doug, it’s coming.”

“I know,” I say from my place, glued to the sofa watching the cable news.

“No, it’s coming now!” Raymundo says. “Big. Swelling. Gray-blue beach-ball not blending with the afternoon sky but big. White with shadows. Falling. Here, right here.”

The news anchors are displaying a graphic depicting the Moon spiraling in it’s orbit, heading toward Earth. Now heading actually toward US.

We’d opted not to try and flee; where would we go? Months ago, they had published calculations of where the Moon would hit and people had made plans to be elsewhere. But everywhere would be shattered. The calculations were off and we were the target. Our house. Our life. No time for the Battle at Armageddon.

I stand up and grab Raymundo’s arm.

“Only time for this.” I say.

I guide him into the backyard. Trees, grass. Wide-open sky. A swelling Moon at the center of the sky, a cap on the zenith.

Raymundo and I hold hands and don’t let go. Nothing will pull us apart.

The air calm, birds winging to and fro in panic. Their nest, the Great Nest being invaded by the biggest egg ever.

“Songs in our head!” Raymundo says. He speaks of “Light Of the Silvery Moon,” “Shine On Harvest Moon,” even “No Moon At All,” and then Beethoven.

We reach up; close enough to touch yet? We see Moon shadows on lunar surface, dots from mountains moving as the Moon shifts unnaturally.

“Telling time by the Moon,” Raymundo said. “Our time is up.”

“Yes,” I breathe.

“Only time for an epitaph,” Raymundo says. “Not in a bed or battlefield but here on this plot of green that will be our plot for an instant, and then gone. So,” he stares at me. “What words? What words do we say to mark this occasion, this last occasion?”

I stare up. The Moon fills my eyes.

“Last words!” Raymundo says. “Meaningful! Profound! Maybe the last words spoken anywhere.”

I stare at Raymundo. I grin. I look up at the Moon.

“Well,” I say. “Here’s another nice mess you’ve got us in.”

I look at Raymundo, his face stunned. Then he laughs, pulls me towards him and kisses me. I glance up; the dark side of the Moon swelling, creeping, covering craters, mountains we were close enough to see.

We kiss again as the wind rises up and the ground rumbles to welcome the Moon. We hold each other as the darkening Moon fills the sky.

—end—

—for Paula

Posted in Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, LGBT, Moon, Paula Wyant, Paula's Prompts, Rainbow Snippets, Ray Bradbury, Short-Stories | 2 Comments

“Upon the Midnight Queer.” ‘Nathan Burgoine’s New Collection, Reviewed By Jeff Baker. (October 29, 2024)

Posted on October 29, 2024 by jeffbaker307

NOTE: A version of this review first appeared on Goodreads. —-jeff

“Upon The Midnight Queer” ‘Nathan Burgoine’s New Collection

Reviewed by Jeff Baker

‘Nathan Burgoine’s second short fiction collection “Upon the Midnight Clear,” features a group of short Christmas tales featuring LGBT characters in stories ranging from retellings of classic Christmas stories (“Dolph,” “Frost”) to fully original stories. Many of them first appeared on his blog where his yearly Christmas stories became a holiday tradition. The new collection includes those, some stories published elsewhere and “Folly,” a story first published in “Upon the Midnight Queer.”

Tales range from contemporary romance to a look at one of the characters from “A Christmas Carol” after that story ended to a story set in the Canada of 1981, a very bad year for the LGBT Community there. Characters often have the sort of perceptual gifts that appear frequently in Burgoine’s stories. Romance, while sometimes only hinted at, is present throughout the book, as is social commentary if only from the fact that LGBT people are generally underrepresented in popular fiction. In that, Burgoine is carrying on the tradition of Charles Dickens whose works were peopled with appealing characters and filled with exposure of society’s ills.

Running through it all is Burgoine’s masterful command of the written word, slipping convincingly into the prose styles of earlier times when required. Whatever the era, the words are perfect.

Words like:

I learned fear and bravery are companions and how the fellowship of someone else tipped the scales to bravery’s side every time.

Or:

Holding forever in her hand, she asked for help.

And:

If you live in a garret, you get two views.

Following on the heels of Burgoine’s first collection “Of Echoes Born,” and several holiday romances (not always around Christmas!) “Upon The Midnight Queer” is a welcome addition to any bookshelf.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220420975-upon-the-midnight-queer

Posted in 'Nathan Burgoine, Books, Charles Dickens, Christmas, Fiction, LGBT, Upon the Midnight Queer | Leave a comment

“Wheels And Skulls.” Friday Flash Fics For (Near) Halloween, from Jeff Baker. October 25, 2024.

Posted on October 25, 2024 by jeffbaker307

Wheels And Skulls

by Jeff Baker

The skeleton astride the motorcycle in the parking lot cackled in a ghostly voice; “Beware! I am the Hell-Spawned Spirit of Vengeance!”

“Sounds good to me,” said a voice from the van parked in the space next to the bike.

The skeleton looked up, startled. A read-headed kid apparently in his 20s leaned out the van’s driver’s side window grinning.

“How come you can see me?” the skeleton asked.

“How do you think?” the kid said. “Shawn McKenzie, at your service. I bought it back in ‘85. Hey, how long you been a skeleton?”

“I’m usually not,” said the skeleton. “I just appear like this for Halloween. Usually I stay at the house I used to live in. The kid renting it never sees me, but when when he gets stoned sometimes after work he hears me. That’s the way it is, some people can notice us sometimes. But he didn’t notice me riding along on his bike.”

“Mommy! Mommy!” The little girl walking out of the bank with her mother pointed. “A Halloween skeleton and it’s moving!”

“That’s nice dear,” her mother said, guiding the girl to their car.

The skeleton waved. “Happy Halloween!” he said. He and McKenzie laughed as they watched the pair drive off.

“So,” said the skeleton, standing up and stretching. “You haunt their warehouse and ride along in the van or what?”

“Naaah!” McKenzie said, opening the driver’s side door and stepping out. “I drive this thing all day!”

McKenzie walked around and opened the van’s back doors. He was wearing boots, jeans and a blue shirt with a company logo on the sleeve and SHAWN on a label sewn on the front pocket.

He pulled out a hand cart and started stacking boxes on it. “This is the good thing about being able to make anybody see me,” he said. “I can do this job and they pay me under the table.” He grinned again. “Of course, they don’t know exactly why I need to be paid under the table!”

“So why work?” the skeleton asked. “Aren’t we permanently retired?”

“I don’t eat, but this way I get money for beer,” McKenzie said. “Besides, I got bored.” He locked the van and started pushing the cart to the delivery door. He turned and waved.

“Happy Halloween!”

“Yeah, you too!” the skeleton said, starting to look like his human self and not a skeleton.

The brown-haired kid in the ripped tank top and tattoos walked out of the building and hopped on his motorcycle.

“Hey! Happy Halloween!” the former skeleton said, clinging to the back of the seat he was on. He now looked about the same age as McKenzie and the kid on the bike who gunned the engine oblivious to the ghostly passenger or the voice.

“Oh well,” the skeleton said, looking like a skeleton again even if most people couldn’t see him.

As the bike roared out of the parking lot, the skeleton laughed. “Beware, mortals! I, the Ghost, uh, Hanger-Oner am here to deliver vengeance!”

—end—

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Friday Flash Fics, Friday Flash Fictions, Ghost Story, Halloween, Horror, Short-Stories | Leave a comment