James Pyles's Blog, page 170
January 23, 2018
One Cold Saturday Morning
He had to make a few trips from the house to the rough-hewn log bench his son had carved out for him. He took first his books and reference notes, then a pillow and warm blanket, and finally his large, steaming coffee mug. He made himself comfortable in the center seat with his mug and […]
January 22, 2018
Deadly Comfort
“What will my heart allow when loneliness holds me down.” Andrea Norton was a survivor, the only survivor. Five years ago their interstellar ship Astraea came out of jumpspace during a class seven solar storm which blew out the ship’s electronics, or most of them. The heavily protected emergency systems held up for the most […]
January 21, 2018
All Stuffed Up
“Why not, Buddy?” “No magic. Anna have no magic. Not taking new apprentices. Just you.” Keeping his promise, Landon told his best (human) friend Anna all about Buddy the Ambrosial Dragon and their adventures together, which started almost a year and a half ago. It had taken a long time to relate everything to Anna. […]
Are They Windmills or Giants?
“Don Quixote?” Wendy hadn’t visited her Uncle Brian’s place in Idaho for years but Mom finally “guilted” her into making the trip from California. “I keep it as a reminder.” They had been going through old keepsakes in his spare bedroom where she’d be sleeping, looking for family photo albums when they came across it. […]
January 20, 2018
River of Blood
Hashem said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn, he refuses to send the people. Go to Pharaoh in the morning — behold! he goes out to the water — and you shall stand opposite him at the River’s bank, and the staff that turned into a snake you shall take in your hand. You shall […]
Night Prayer
Moshe Shmuel Cohen stood on the summit of Pico Duarte in the moonlight in front of the Dominican flag, the bust of Duarte and the “Christian symbol.” He had spent the day in a burrow well off the trail, concealed from light and curious eyes. “You were not here my prior visit and are not so […]
January 19, 2018
The Kepler Tomb
Note: This story is over 6600 words long not including the afterword. You might want to get yourself a cup of coffee or tea and sit down in a comfortable chair before proceeding. Alternately, bookmark the page and read the story in stages. I hope you’ll find the effort worthwhile. I found myself in the […]
January 6, 2018
The Hawkhurst Gambit
“The lads play well together, Eileen.” “Yes they do, Sean. I appreciate you taking us in while we’re in Dymchurch.” “After all, what are family for?” The two old friends sat in the Billingham living room by the fire as their two sons Timothy and Roger played with their collection of Pokemon cards at the […]
The Men I Never Met
It had started at Tel Saki on Yom Kippur, 6 October 1973 when six soldiers embarked on a routine reconnaissance mission to the outpost. For thirty-one year old Benjamin Wolff, now standing at the Valley of Tears memorial, it ended with the death of his uncle. The Former U.S. Marine put his hand on a […]
January 5, 2018
The Vampire’s Sigil
The Seventh Chapter in the Undead Life of Sean Becker The sigil left in his place made no sense. Raquel was the first to see it amid the rubble. Even the firefighters and arson investigators hadn’t been able to get down to this level yet. Clearly it was a sign substituted for the vampire Antonie, […]
