while i could not sleep i counted all your freckles my moon sleeps brightly

There was something odd about the lone Elk as it moved through the dense scrub. Jackson watch it through field glasses for a time, but could not put a finger on its strangeness. Then aiming his glass southward, he located his hunting companion and friend, Richie near the base of a hillock. The man’s orange…

He saw the deputy’s hard stare as he drove by him in the opposite direction. The quick draw performer knew that the man behind the badge would be turning his unit around and pulling him over. It had happened before and it cost Dave nearly $600 the last time. He checked his rear view mirror…

Two days’ ride east of Beowawe, where the ground turns from sagebrush to bone-white caliche, Brady came upon a massacre. The sun hung high, pale and pitiless, drawing long shadows from the dead where they lay sprawled across the rocky earth. The acrid reek of burnt gunpowder tangled with the copper stink of drying blood,…

Aubrey Thornton walked ahead of her girlfriends, who had stopped along the trail to take a selfie. She had forgotten her cellphone in the car, so she didn’t participate in the ritual. Ahead, she saw the shimmering rays of the day’s sun and heat vibrating from the asphalt of the newly opened footpath encompassing Lake…

Sensing her presence, he turned and offered to buy her a drink, saying ‘Belly up,’ while holding his hand out towards the space at the bar next to him. Without warning, the woman dropped on her back, lifted her shirt, exposing her belly. Embarrassed, the man exclaimed.“Get up off the floor!” By then everyone was…

If I can write a story using less than 280 characters, you can too. It’s great way to practice cutting extra words from your work. Go to Twitter and type in #vss365 and give it a shot. Here’s an example of my most recent attempt: #vss365 #WritingCommunity #HorrorCommunity Tom knelt, looking over the ledge at…

It was her first call as a newly hired dispatcher, “Nine-one-one, fire, police or ambulance?” There was pause. “I’d like to order a pizza,” a trembling woman’s voice responded. “Ma’am, I think you called the wrong number.” “No, I haven’t.” “You called 9-1-1.” “Yes.” Suddenly, there was a hard thudding sound, and a faint cry,…

A slow start today, as I woke a little bit stiff and sore. My son, daughter-in-law and I went to Lake Tahoe to sight see, take pictures and hike. Using as few words as possible, I wanted to show you a couple of highlights.  The above photograph was taken from State Route 28. A few…

William Donald Lund, Jr. passed away on January 30, 2020 at the age of 63. Better known as Bill, he was born on December 1, 1956 in Sacramento, CA. While he grew up in Northern California all his life, it wasn’t until 1973 that he moved to Crescent City from Blue Lake, with his family.…