In her youth, Lydia went on a tour of Africa, where she found a female lion cub, limping and alone. She coaxed the cub into the Land Rover with food, checked it’s paw, removing a large stick from between its toes pads. A few years later Lydia, visiting a wild game park in California, saw…

“Come out to the desert,” they said. “We’ll play some paintball and do some exploring,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said. “My dog and I showed up — and the fuckers ditched us,” I said. Looking down at Rover, he woofs, “Let’s go and make those assholes pay.” He knows that I speak fluent…

While downtown at an annual event playing out along the river, I watched a four-year-old boy terrorizing both animals and other children. He chased after and tossed rocks at birds, purposely stomped on one girl’s toes and had to be warned not to tease a German Shepherd, who remained calm during the ear-pulling and tail-tugging.…

Chet had locked himself out of the house yet again. He thought about calling his wife, but she was in another state visiting her mother for one more day, so he figured he could wait it out in the tool shed. He unrolled the three sleeping bags and laid them one atop the other, cushioning…

More than 20 years after their disappearance, the remains of two missing Sparks teens were positively identified in March 2000. The skeletal remains of Brenda Lynne Judd, 14, and Sandra Kaye Colley, 13, were discovered in November 1999, when a Hallelujah Junction property owner in Lassen County, just off of U.S. 395, accidentally dug them…

The moment he saw her, he had an erection and it stayed with him throughout the night. Ruby was her name and a redheaded firebrand to boot. Only 12 at the time, Nick had seen her on the neighbor’s television as she gyrated in motion to the beat. He couldn’t get over how much she sounded…

Fitch had grown tired of that damned cherub of love, Cupid, using him for target practice. So he decided that the next opportunity he had, he’d put a stop to the weaponized-child’s rein of hurt on his heart. “Tell you what Cupid,” Fitch offered, “let’s have an archery contest. If you win, I’ll fall in…

Moon boots. Well worn. Semper Fi.

A great war chief had a beautiful daughter, who weaved beautiful blankets. Her skills were in high demand and she enjoyed the company of many women from other villages who came to watch her work. One day Bear decided to visit. He sat and listened as she bragged about how she could turn anything Mother…

There’s always been this suspicion in my heart that I am nothing more than a second-class veteran. Turns out, I’m right. First, I never received the same educational benefit my Grandpa got following World War II. Nor was I offered the same educational package that my dad earned after Vietnam. Along with these, once honorably…