James Pyles's Blog, page 208
April 15, 2017
Wairua
The block in downtown Christchurch was being demolished. The buildings around the public parking lot had been abandoned for a decade. Anyone who wanted, could indulge themselves with cans of spray paint. Some graffiti was elementary, other projects were expertly artistic. A shame the heavy equipment would destroy the good with the bad. The indigenous Māori people thrived in New Zealand […]
April 14, 2017
Not Gone Forever
“There they are, a small streak of them.” Clive Ambrose was actually over five kilometers from the subjects of his research, looking at the group on a laptop in a small hut which served as a blind at the edge of the Southwest National Park in Tasmania. “A group of Indian Tigers is called as streak, […]
April 13, 2017
Blood in the Depths
In later years, it was largely believed that Fair Isle, a tiny spit of an island between Sumburgh Head and Mainland, Shetland, which would eventually be claimed by Scotland, was originally settled by Bronze Age traders. The real story was first withheld and then lost to history. Truth be told, Nordic raiders used Fair Isle as a […]
April 12, 2017
Matzah Pizza and an Island of Peace
Esther had some cheese and matzah pizza and another sip of wine. Fortunately the owner of “Stanley’s Pizza” knew how to accommodate her needs during the Passover season. At work, time was very fluid, which was why she appreciated the dependable rhythms of a Jewish life. Looking at her watch on the counter, she chuckled. She […]
April 11, 2017
Doing What’s Necessary
Yosemite National Park has gone downhill since I was a kid. We used to come here every Spring and Fall for the bicycle rallies. Some entered the races, but a lot of us just liked to ride around the main road inside the park. Now look at it. Bastards have carved their initials into everything, […]
Strange Sight Expanded
Ronald Connor sat on the sandy shore and stared up at the cliff where it all began. It would be the last thing he’d ever see. His peripheral vision was closing in on him. He could see the trees, the buildings, the tower, all through a continually narrowing tunnel. “I wish I could have seen […]
April 10, 2017
The Curse of Slappy
The Fifteenth Story in the Adventures of the Ambrosial Dragon: A Children’s Fantasy Series It was a Friday and Landon was happy that the school week was over. He went into his bedroom to get rid of his backpack and saw something strange. All of the living stuffed animals were at the foot of the […]
The Experiment
“Johnson, apply more power. I think an image is forming in the Temporalscope.” “I see it too, Reynolds. Applying power.” Henry Johnson slowly pushed the lever up a bit more. Screaming transformers almost deafened them. “There it is. It’s just a shadow. but…” “You’re right, Reynolds. It’s a picture from another time.” “Counters are settling in, […]
April 9, 2017
What I Feel When I Hold You
“No! No! No! No! They can’t be dead. They can’t be.” The hospital. My son and daughter-in-law are in ICU. The car wreck. They survived, but my grandchildren…eight year old Patrick, 2 year old Sarah…they’re dead. They’re dead. I’ve been a failure all my life. I’ve been a failure as a husband, a father, a […]
For the Love of Cynthia
The fake Viking boat was the only unusual thing about the park. It overlooked Suisun Bay to the north and bordered the Point Edith Wildlife Area. Cynthia always felt safe in the reserve, which is why she told Richard to meet her here each morning after it was over. Early on a Monday morning, the […]
