Category: Writing

It is a Good Day to Look at Recruitment Time

I do not love the title of Recruitment Time. Maybe I will change it. But right now, I truly do not know.

I wrote this story during the second quarter of 2024.

Background

I liked Sharon Ensley, Hudson LeDuque, and Rachel Shapiro so much that I wanted to bring them all back. In particular, I wanted to connect Sharon and Hudson directly to Rachel.

Plot

On what should have been a routine time travel mission, Sharon Ensley ends up diverted to 2001 New Jersey. As she dodges falling debris and body parts, she realizes the scene is somewhat familiar. But it does not feel perfectly correct.

Characters

The characters are Sharon Ensley, Hudson LeDuque, Rachel Shapiro, Victoria Chilton, Pen Schulman, Kevin O’Connor, Arthur Iannucci, Preston Kelly, and Lenny Antonelli. Many of these are characters from And the Walls Came Tumbling Down Again.

Memorable Quotes

Debris rained all around her. Shoes. A teapot. A crate for an animal that she hoped was empty. A small piece of luggage in an ultra-feminine shade of pink nearly hit her on the head.

“That’s, that’s a train case,” she mumbled. Why did I remember that, of all things? She smacked herself in the ear to engage a tiny, implanted phone that was much more sophisticated technology than anyone of that era had ever seen. But there was no sense in trying to hide the implanted phone. If anyone was still alive, they were likely to be in terrible shock and incapable of registering what they were seeing.
“Emergency! Emergency services!”

“This is Atlantic City nine-one-one dispatch, Carol Ann speaking. What is the nature of the emergency, and where are you?”

“It’s er,…” Think, Sharon, think! “A plane crash. It’s, it’s burning, it’s horrible.”

“Do not endanger yourself,” said the dispatch operator. “Where are you?”

“It’s, it’s, God, it’s awful.” And I have no idea where or when I am. But I can use my obvious trauma for cover.

“Ma’am where are you?” the dispatcher repeated.

“It’s, it’s swampy here. There aren’t any lights.”

“The pine barrens?”

Sure, let’s go with that. “Yeah, I think so. I’m scared.” And that’s not an act.

Genre and Overall Mood

The genre is science fiction time travel. After a rough, concerning start, the story mainly proceeds neutrally/a little positively.

Rating for Recruitment Time

The story has a T rating. The start in particular—the inciting incident, as it were—is nasty.

Takeaways from Recruitment Time

While the story does run out of gas at the very end, I think it otherwise flows fairly well. Its main purpose is to link Sharon Ensley with the …Walls…cast. Which is something that I think works.

Furthermore, we get a few more clues about LeDuque, or at least about his tech. So, can he, truly, go to the future? At this point in time, even I am not so sure either way.

While engineer Kevin O’Connor and mathematician Arthur Iannucci say he should not be able to, the team realizes there are a few ways LeDuque could, or at least he could fake it really well.

Which just might be enough to be convincing.

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Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works. Especially the ones about how time travel is wacky, counterintuitive, and could endanger us all.

And finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

It is Time to Look at The Jungle

A good ten years after I wrote it, The Jungle still feels as fresh and horrifying as it did when I committed it to pixels.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2016. It was written for an anthology that was to be called Disarm, which, unfortunately, never came to be. That anthology was meant to be about gun control.

Background

In 1994, in December, a troubled young man named John Salvi shot up a few abortion clinics in Boston.

At the time, I was working as a claims supervisor for an insurance company downtown. I had somewhere between two and five employees under me (I cannot honestly recall; I just remember two of them so it may have been just the two).

Everyone in the room was female, and I was the eldest, often by at least ten years. I was only 32 years old at the time. Keep in mind, this was long before cell phones put the internet in your pocket. Hell, it was before most people had ever gone online.

I believe it was a good five years before I even went onto Usenet. And so, we listened to the radio or called people we knew, desperate for information. While we were not that close to the danger, we had no way of knowing that.

It felt as if every single woman in Boston and environs had a target painted on her back. And maybe we all did.

I remember being scared, and my coworkers asking me, “What do we do now?”

And I said, “I guess we could make a barricade if we had to.”

Fortunately, we did not have to.

Plot

Much like in the true story, a gunman is terrorizing abortion clinics and the people who work there or use those services. The narrator and her coworker Dan are trapped in the break room. They have already barricaded the door and are wondering what the hell is going on.

They barely know each other, but in the heat of the moment, that does not matter. Together, they hunker down, afraid of what could happen if they do so much as try to stand up.

Characters Caught in The Jungle

The characters are the narrator and her coworker, Dan. She mentions a few other people who work with them, including a receptionist who loses her life that day.

Memorable Quotes

Amidst the K-cups, the stirrers, the paper plates, and the plastic utensils, we wait.

We unplugged the coffee maker and added it to the mess in front of the door. It is two round tables on their sides and six chairs and, absurdly, the coffee maker. It’s as good a break room barricade as anyone has ever made, I figure.

I’m the new girl. I’m just a file clerk. This is my summer job. I was just supposed to make some cash and sock it away for Boston College next year, but instead it’s me and my coworker, hunkered down in the break room, waiting it out.

Genre and Overall Mood in The Jungle

This story is in the contemporary fiction genre. The mood is grim and frightening.

Rating

The story has a T rating. There are corpses, and there is bad language.

Takeaways

I could have done better with this story, but I also think its rawness is a part of its quality. It was a truly frightening time, and I still remember it, over 30 years later. I bet my coworkers from that time do, too.

In memory of Lee Ann Nichols and Shannon Lowney.

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works.

And finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

It is Time to Look at No Trip to Jupiter

There can be No Trip to Jupiter for this put-upon narrator character.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2016. It was for a mental health anthology that, alas, never came to fruition.

Background

When the initial anthology was announced, I was seeing a lot of people in my social media feed who essentially seemed to be (to me) romanticizing mental illness. And all I could think of was: that’s not reality.

In addition, perhaps twenty years before that time, a girl I had known (the daughter of friends of my parents) had had mental illness and she tried to kill herself by jumping out of a window. This had made her a quadriplegic. But she did not have any siblings.

And so, a part of the idea for this story was: what if she had?

Plot

The narrator is the only family her mentally ill little sister will have left. Because the sister is a quadriplegic, she will need care for the rest of her days.

The narrator is clearly unhappy about this turn of events. However, she also does not make anything too super-clear.

Which means that she may resent being her sister’s keeper but act as her caregiver even though she does not want to. Or, she may simply abdicate the responsibility once their father passes on.

This would not necessarily mean abandoning her sister at some bus station. Rather, it would (presumably) be more like hiring a professional care team and staying out of their way.

Characters Taking No Trip to Jupiter

The characters are the narrator who is nearly 100% of the time talking about her sister. She mentions their parents but by this time, their mother is deceased and their father is soon to follow.

Memorable Quotes

I guess I should have seen signs even earlier. She was the one who said there were movies playing on the glass of our dad’s computer imaging scanner. She was the one who made a weird green and blue glass cover for the ceiling fixture in our room and then, a year later, said she was afraid of all the weird green and blue things and people which were only in our room. Well, duh.

Anyway, that all changed when she turned sixteen or so. I’m older; I was nineteen. That’s when the cutting started, although she may have been doing it earlier and just hiding it better. I was off to college so I missed the signs and everything was happy smiles and all the wonders of the world whenever I came home for a visit.

But yeah, I’ll get back to the cutting. It seemed to relieve her stress, to make herself bleed, as if she were a medieval lady being treated for some unexplained fever.

When I went back to college for my senior year, she tried to kill herself in earnest. Not by cutting, but by what happens when you step out of an open window and hit the pavement down below.

Genre and Overall Mood for No Trip to Jupiter

The genre is contemporary fiction. The mood is pretty grim.

Rating When There is No Trip to Jupiter

The story has a K+ rating, as there is plenty of talk of suicide.

Takeaways

When I first wrote this story, I recall being truly peeved at people who seemed to feel that mental illness was some sort of fun and hip thing, like it was cool to be, let’s face it, messed up. And it seemed juvenile. It still does.

And so, I wanted to tell the story from the perspective of the sister who is, in a lot of ways, the one left holding the bag. Because mental illness is far from glamorous or fun, and the people who have to silently serve or step back need some recognition, too.

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works.

And finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

Finding the Lost Luggage of Time

The Lost Luggage of Time has a truly strange vibe to it, but it is also easily one of the better stories I wrote at, heh, the time.

I wrote this story during the fourth quarter of 2016. And then I mainly forgot about it. So, it was more or less lost for about a decade. This seems fitting.

Background

I wrote this story for an anthology on Wattpad, The Wattpad Decameron. However, I am not so sure the actual posting is still there. Good thing I keep everything I do.

Given that I have been a road warrior, airlines have ‘lost’ my luggage more than once. And so, I got to thinking about whether time travelers could actually lose their luggage.

Plot

A storyteller sits at a bar and tells what seems to be a fantastical tale about time travel and cleaning up older messes.

Finding the Characters in The Lost Luggage of Time

The characters are Keiran Shapiro, Steve Riley, Elsbeth Mayville, and Miss D’Angelo (I never give her a first name).

Memorable Quotes

Time traveling involved getting into a booth which resembled an ancient voting booth and it really did have a lever. A shepherd would adjust the date, time, and spatial information on a virtual board and then pull the lever. The lever was clunky but rather satisfying to pull. Plus all other methods were fraught with errors and issues. The lever was simply more reliable.

The shepherds’ several booths were overseen by Chief Engineer Steve Riley. Riley was as big as a house and couldn’t even fit into a booth anymore – and those booths were built for up to four people.

“You planning on sowing discord again, Shapiro?” asked Riley as he fiddled with controls.

“When do I not?” Shapiro held up the freeze gun. It was about the size and shape of the palm of his hand. He declared, “Hark, one freeze gun.”

“Got it. I see you had to change your ’do. And your outfit.”

“1066. I don’t think they knew about Mohawks then.” His hair had been shorn to nearly nothing, to get rid of the green. Plus Kieran’s normal outfit, a study in black leather and denim, had been swapped for chain mail. He had a quiver of arrows and a crossbow slung over one shoulder. He almost looked like Robin Hood crossed with a knight.

“Probably not. You gonna meet some Saxon honey?”

“Heh, doubtful. Didn’t they just bathe once a decade or so?” Kieran asked.

“I don’t know from history. I just fix the machines.” A soft chime emitted. “Looks like D’Angelo is about to arrive. Happy trails, Key.”

Genre and Overall Mood for The Lost Luggage of Time

The genre is science fiction. The mood is mostly light although Kieran does have a somewhat messy end.

Rating

The story has a K+ rating. As I often write time travelers, these folks are a little rough around the edges, but are also hyper-smart. Sometimes that means swearing. Although in this instance, it does not.

Takeaways After Finding the Lost Luggage of Time

Rereading this one, I was rather pleasantly surprised that it is actually pretty good! Within it, I can see some of the seeds for works like Time Addicts, The Obolonk Murders, and Lizzie Borden is Vital to the Timeline. Plus, there is even a Shapiro!

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works.

And finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

It is Time to Look at The Playback

So, one thing about The Playback is it is the kind of story I rarely write any more. While I love lyrics and they can often inspire, this one seems a little too on the nose.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2017. It was originally for a third Stardust, Always anthology to fight cancer. However, that book never materialized.

Welcome to Developmental Hell.

Background

I am pretty sure that I was thinking about the old Crash Test Dummies song, Afternoons and Coffeespoons when I first wrote this one.

In particular, there is a line:
Maybe if I could do a play-by-playback
I could change the test results that I will get back

And so, I realized, there was the potential for almost a time travel story in that little piece of the lyrics.

Plot

On her death bed, the narrator speaks to a doctor about a wish to save her nephew. According to the narrator, this conversation has occurred several times before. Why?

Because the narrator has perfected a form of time travel, and has been working through numerous iterations to save her nephew. The nephew has a glioblastoma. This nasty form of cancer figures in another of my stories.

But to reveal too much would go heavily into spoiler territory.

Characters

The characters are the narrator and her doctor, and the people in the narrator’s life who she mentions. But she is the only one who does any talking.

Memorable Quotes

I know you think I’m on my deathbed, Doctor, but I’m not. I mean, I am, but I can fix this. I’ll start from the beginning.

Yes, yes, I know I sound like any of however many other crazy, sick old ladies in this hospital. I get that – I do! But I also know that, underneath your lab coat, you’re wearing a blue blouse with a red ink stain.

Don’t look so shocked. And don’t try to tell yourself you showed it to me. I mean, you did. But not today. Not in this version of today.

Yes, I mean version. Because, you see, I can play back my life.

Genre and Overall Mood for The Playbook

This story is in the science fiction genre. The mood is somewhat neutral, as you cannot tell if it is going to be positive in the end.

Rating for The Playback

The story has a K rating.

Takeaways from The Playback

I really like the idea behind this one. It is simple and straightforward.

However, there are definitely a few flaws with this one. One is that it ends on a cliffhanger and with no real resolution. Most likely, I was trying to add a Twilight Zone vibe to the story.

But it does not truly succeed in that area. Rather, the attempt just falls flat.

Another flaw (which may not really be a flaw, as I think about it) is that the method of time travel is extremely basic. Still, that could be an advantage here.

Since the narrator tries to get the doctor to help her, the only way that can make any sense at all is to have the method be exceptionally easy.

This way, the narrator can comfortably ask the doctor to learn the technique. It also works well in the context of a short story. In a far longer piece, the methodology of time travel could have become a lot more complex.

Although for the doctor to be able to realistically learn the method in less than an hour, it does make sense for it to be a ridiculously simply matter to learn.

Argh, I am so conflicted!

So, imagine how my readers must feel. Hmm.

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works.

And finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.

It is Time to Unveil The Bride

While I have written about some weddings before, I do not think I have concentrated quite so closely on the bride until this short story. Also, this story is a part of the Real Hub universe.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2018.

Background

As I was writing The Real Hub of the Universe, I got to thinking about Shannon Duffy’s subject immediately before Ceilidh. And then I got to thinking about his wife, and her point of view. I felt Blima deserved to have a say.

Plot

In a nineteenth century shtetl in Europe, a teenaged bride gets ready for her wedding day. And night.

She has met the groom maybe one or two times before. This was typical for the time.

But what is different here is that the groom has a friend who will insert themselves into just about every aspect of the marriage. Then again, how many people have an alien shapeshifter for a companion?

As for the casual homophobia, it was unfortunately very typical for the time.

Characters

The characters are Blima Shapiro, her younger sister Chana, and their brother, Yussele.

Memorable Quotes from The Bride

“Blima, do you think he’s handsome?”

“I don’t know. He’s a boy – I mean, man. They are all the same, more or less.”

Chana snipped a loose thread from her sister’s simple gown. “Papa isn’t just some man, the same as all the rest.”

“That’s because he’s Papa,” Blima said. She looked at her light brown hair in an old mirror that was a little wavy and distorted. “I won’t get used to not looking like myself anymore. A sheitl! They all look so horribly ugly: dark brown, straight, in a tight bun. I suppose women all look the same as well – at least, married women do.”

“But you’ll take it off at home,” Chana pointed out. “And you can take it off when it’s just us girls. Aunt Rachel does.”

“Yes, I know. This whole process is so wretched! I don’t even know why Mama and Papa chose him in particular. They’re all the same. Did they close their eyes and point, or something? I do not see the specific appeal of Herschel Taub.”

“Don’t forget his friend, Levi Alschuler.”

“And him!” Blima looked at herself in the mirror again. “I don’t want to be married to either of them.”

“Do you think they…?” Chana’s voice trailed off.

Blima emitted a standard exasperated teenaged sigh. “If they do, then that nonsense stops tonight.”

Genre and Overall Mood of The Bride

The genre is historical fiction. The mood is neutral to slightly positive. I have no doubt that a lot of girls in Blima’s position would have been scared, angry, confused, or worried. But Blima is none of those things. Rather, she is just resigned to her fate.

In keeping with the custom of the time, she would have no say in the matter and no real incentive to do anything about the situation beyond perhaps protecting her family, assuming that she could. And that would only be if she was caught in an abusive situation.

However (spoiler alert), Herschel is a decent person who never hurts her. And so, because she cares for him at least minimally, she wants to have him to herself. This means she shuts Shannon (Levi) out a lot of the time. This includes when Herschel is dying from a stroke.

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Takeaways from The Bride

It was a tough time for young girls. They had very few choices in life, very little agency. The differences between the Shapiro sisters and, say, Kitty and Mink from Mettle or even Nell from that story are striking.

Even Ceilidh has more of a say in her fate. And that is saying a lot.

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works.

And finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.