James Pyles's Blog, page 217

Chasing the Zodiac

Martin Fields looked out window of his rented condo at a street recently swept of snow. “So primitive, Isis, but we won’t be here long.” “It’s your fault we’re here at all.” Fields turned to face her. She was beautiful by design, reminding him that she wasn’t human. “How could I know he’d find my […]

You Never Have To Wait For A Time Traveler

Pamela had an unusual job; she was a time traveler. She worked on contract for the Department of Temporal Affairs. She was one of a dozen or so time workers who traveled up and down eternity detecting and correcting potential rifts in the time stream, events that, if left unchecked, would threaten the static history her […]

Left Alone

Joey was softly crying. His Mommy forgot him, forgot to pick him up at the Boys and Girls Club where he went everyday after school. Now everyone was gone and he was alone. It was cold and wet out and he was scared. Where was his Mommy and why didn’t she come to get him? […]

The Dossier

Ex-KGB Chief Oleg Erovinkin was found dead in the back of his black Lexus just blocks from the Kremlin. The cause of death had not been revealed, but it was under mysterious circumstances. Thousands of kilometers away, MI6 Agent Christopher Steele bought a “burner” phone and made a call to a number less than a […][image error]

The Dream Master

In spite of his exhaustion, Ian Mohr had to battle the demon Morpheus, god of sleep and dreams, every night to enter his realm. There were whole nights when the demon was successful in denying Ian entrance, but eventually the man’s sheer fatigue would defeat the sleep god. As long as Ian entered the dream […]

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane

“Jimmy! Get off of the roof! You’ll fall!” Eight-year-old Jimmy Parker had climbed out of the loft window onto the shingled roof and stood poised to fly, dressed in his complete “Superman” costume his Mom and Dad gave him for his birthday. “I’ll be okay, Mom. Don’t worry.” Jimmy thought Mom always worried too much. […]

Meeting the Future Mrs. Shaw

William Shaw was stepping out of the pub on Northumberland Street near the Charing Cross railway station when he quite literally collided with his next wife. He’d been looking at his pocket watch and calculating how much time he had left to catch his train, and she had been rearranging the parcels she was carrying […]

Two Lost Children

The miniature yacht and skiff pulled floaters as it drifted up channel. The yacht’s deck was covered with torn tarps from the storm it weathered the night before. The current carried the pair up river by midday. They were noticed by a lone Ranger, who called it in to the Park Service. A small police […]

Their Only Playground

The elementary school on Urban Street had been abandoned ever since the fire gutted it. The city finally budgeted the money to tear it down. Twenty-four boys and girls lost their lives in that fire. The building’s destruction might bring some closure to their families. Frank Hurley had retired as Fire Chief last year. He […]

Rediscovering Serenity

It had been years subjectively since Tamara had been to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, years since she’d let herself relax and stare at the serene Koi pond. For the last ten years, she struggled, on the run, hiding from Slaver Gangs, scrounging for food, making alliances, and often being betrayed. Then […]