Arthur Doweyko’s ‘The Glitch’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Arthur’s contribution is The Glitch. Here’s the opening:

Hadley Banes usually walked with his head down along the same route after work every day—onto Fifth Street, right on MacKenzie, and two blocks to his apartment house. During rush hour one didn’t try to make new friends.
Today was different.
Hadley had just been discharged from the ER with a nasty head injury. It happened at his work—a dumb move to rush down the stairs that ended up more like a swan dive to the basement.
A wagging ponytail some five paces ahead caught his eye. As he watched the mesmerizing sway, the man who owned it disappeared—completely gone, and no one seemed to notice. Hadley stopped, blinked his eyes. He massaged his head bandage in an attempt at quelling a headache which now threatened to erupt into a monsoon. A good squeeze of his eyes brought the ponytail man back, walking on as if nothing had happened.

How the story came about:
The Glitch is a story focused on what could be. Two people, ages apart, share a frustration with their lives. Brady, a precocious young girl dying of a brain tumor, tells Hadley, a middle-aged man in a rut, that she sees and controls a machine that runs the universe. Hadley had just seen people disappear and reappear, something Brady saw as well, but has trouble believing the girl. When the two face deadly crises, Hadley makes a choice to believe the girl.
Continue reading “Arthur Doweyko’s ‘The Glitch’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

Emmie Christie’s ‘Candy Cane Walrus’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Emmie’s contribution is Come into My Parlor. Here’s the opening:

The candy cane walrus visits Olly when her parents fight.
She calls him that because his tusks spiral red and white, like candy canes. She snuggles against him, and he blocks her ears with his thick coat.

How the story came about:
My story, Candy Cane Walrus, stemmed from listening to my parents fight in childhood, but I also pulled in elements from peoples’ experiences around me. I wanted to capture the helplessness a child feels when they hear shouting, and the need to escape the situation or control it somehow.
Continue reading “Emmie Christie’s ‘Candy Cane Walrus’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

Tom Howard’s ‘Come into My Parlor’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Tom’s contribution is Come into My Parlor. Here’s the opening:

The bell above the door tinkled, and three strange men entered Hildy’s bookstore. Although it was late evening in Fossil Station, Kansas, she hadn’t closed her shop. Vonda Toedimier had called to say she’d stop on her way home for a romance novel and Hildy’s scone recipe.

How the story came about:
When I first started writing fifteen years ago, I submitted a story to an anthology where tea saved the day. They rejected it, and this poor story has been making the rounds ever since. It’s been longer. It’s been shorter. The POV has changed several times. It’s been workshopped, critiqued, and almost archived.
Hilda Donnechie was an English nanny immigrant who lived next door to us in Texas. She was a character and would have had no problem with aliens appearing in her bookshop.
Continue reading “Tom Howard’s ‘Come into My Parlor’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

Leslie Muzingo’s ‘Emerald Eyes’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Leslie’s contribution is Emerald Eyes. Here’s the opening:

The last stretch of new train tracks had been laid in catty-corner fashion. Funny how the engineer who directed this strange design was never seen again once the last spike was driven and the champagne toast drunk. Perhaps he knew the chaos he’d caused and wanted to get away before his crime was discovered. Those passengers returning to the station had no problems as the tracks were split and only the tracks for outgoing trains were affected. But what an effect those catty-cornered train tracks had on those who dared to ride! You’d think you were on the train to Boston and arrive in Timbuktu, or to New York and find yourself lost in Shanghai. It was unbelievable. It was magical.

How the story came about:
I wrote this story for a contest. That contest had a theme. Honestly, it was so long ago that I don’t remember much about it! So I guess it goes without saying that I didn’t win the contest, huh?
Continue reading “Leslie Muzingo’s ‘Emerald Eyes’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

The Alibi (A John Chance Mystery) – Chapter 32

Still sharing what I’ve already written pre-Oct. By the time this chapter is published I’ll’ve begun The Great Rewrite.

Nice image, that…don’t you think?

Enjoy!

The Alibi – Chapter 32

 
Sean surfaced slowly and rotated without making ripples. No one, no thing, besides himself in the cave. Boston’s record-breaking heatwave had daytime temperatures in the high nineties, nighttime temps not much less, and the downtown was, literally, a melting pot. People claimed they could see the waterfront boil and the seawater hadn’t been spared. A mist rose in the cave where the warm ocean water hit the cave’s subterranean cool. Not enough to hide in, and Sean was glad of that.

The water rose and lowered quickly. Not him, not the T, not passive or active sonar. Almost like a percussion blast, a pressure wave.

He waited. Nothing else. Probably some waterfront construction.

He focused on the wall sigils his last time here. Seamus thought there might be something more, something other.

Like what?

Kelp? Lichen? A scribe holding a writing tablet transposing his efforts to the bioluminescent walls?

Seamus’s placement on a DO NOT FLY list bothered him. His cousin a terrorist?

Caic tarbh! Nobody with half a brain in their head would buy that story.

Still, there it was. Seamus O’Hearn was on a DO NOT FLY list.

Too many coincidences.

But who in hell would care about what’s scratched into the walls of a cave you can only get to underwater?

Didn’t matter now.

He hadn’t investigated those other caves, the darkness in the walls, the tunnels leading…where?

This was a secret staging area for a smuggling operation?

Not bad. Except you’d need some kind of powered submersible if you were smuggling anything with mass.

But how many men were involved in the operation?

Had enough, you could make a chain.

And if this was an old T tunnel? Did they store equipment here? Wouldn’t there be service tracks to and from?

He rose from the water, waited for ocean to shed itself from his dive suit, less chance of sloshing, making a sound, being heard by others.

Another look around.

He turned on his headlamp, shined it in the tunnel entrances, and saw it light a backwall in one.

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