Mark Gagnon
Bio
I have spent most of my life traveling the US and abroad. Now it's time to create what I hope are interesting fictional stories.
I have 2 books on Amazon, Mitigating Circumstances and Short Stories for Open Minds.
Stories (302/0)
My Future Past
Wow, that was one hell of a New Year’s Eve party. At least, the parts I remember were. I don’t understand what made the room spin so erratically while the antique grandfather clock was ringing in its welcome to 2024. At least I think we were celebrating 2024. I seem to remember an old-fashioned TV broadcasting Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve, and the banners read 1980. The other odd thing is everyone vanished from the party just as the final chime struck. Now that I think about it, I have no idea where that old clock came from, because I’ve never owned one. It just showed up, chimed twelve times, and poof, it’s gone again. Maybe what I need is a couple of aspirin and a cup of coffee.
By Mark Gagnon3 months ago in Fiction
Personal Contact
A note lay on my entryway floor. She must have slid it under my door after I had gone to bed. Some people might say communicating like this feels much more personal compared to how it happened back in the old days, say one or two years ago. Back then, if someone wanted to contact you for work or just to say hello all they did was pick up their cell phone and dial your number. Sure, it was faster, but it lacked the interpersonal feel that notes have. Who am I kidding? The only reason people are contacting each other with notes is to avoid losing their minds to The Coordinator.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
- Top Story - February 2024
Hidden From ViewTop Story - February 2024
“I don’t understand why you don’t like the snow, Grandpa. Look at how beautiful the hills look, tucked under a blanket of white. I love how the starlight reflects off the pristine snow. It gives the field a soft, winter wonderland look. Everything is so beautiful, Grandpa. I see nothing here to dislike. Didn’t you tell me this is where you grew up as a child?”
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
Transfixed
I stared into cold, dead, unreadable eyes. Maybe he would allow me to pass. No harm, no foul. Just two creatures whose paths fate briefly allowed to intersect. We moved in an arc, each participant in this deadly dance transfixed on the other. The cobra’s glistening scales rippled as he adjusted his position, searching for an advantage, something I had no intention of allowing him. My fur bristled in anticipation of his next move. My lips pulled back in a snarl, exposing razor-sharp fangs.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
Unicorns No More
“Wake up, Agnes! We overslept again and will miss the boat if we don’t get a move on.” “Just ten more minutes, Fred, or maybe fifteen at the most. And will you please stop poking me with that thing! I would have thought you had enough last night.”
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
I’m Your First
I went bug-eyed with anticipation the first time I saw you walk into the backyard. Will you be the one? Has my savior finally come to rescue me from my lonely, neglected existence? In my current condition, I’ll understand if you walk on by without a second glance. Maybe you’ll show me some compassion and look past my rough edges and unkempt trappings to see my true beauty. I didn’t always look like this. All you need to do is look at my baby pictures to recognize my true beauty hidden away beneath this time-worn exterior.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
Pristine
My clothing drips with perspiration as the sweat pours from my body. To look at me, you would think I was trudging through the desert instead of plodding through a foot of fresh snow in sub-zero weather. My heart pounds so hard I’m sure it’s echoing throughout the valley, making it easier for the beasts to find me. I’ve never thought of myself as prey, but now I know how a deer feels.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
Weapon V
Alan, Jack, and Bill stared dumbfounded at the now silent phone, while an occasional large piece of concrete from the decimated building across the way fell to the ground, shattering itself into small chunks. The wail of sirens and the shouts from the injured and those attempting to rescue them filled the area surrounding the embassy. Chaos reigned. Without speaking, Alan motioned for his associates to place their phones on the desk and follow him to the SKIF. Once the three were securely inside and the door sealed, they were free to develop a plan of action.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Chapters
Snowflake
Yes, Snowflake is my name and I’m proud of it. It’s a name that describes my pure white crystalline color. When people think of me, they think of my intricate design and the way I gently float from the clouds above. Did you know that none of my kind are exactly alike? We are billions, and every one of us is unique. Unlike humans, we will never have a twin. I’m also delicate. It only takes a ripple of air or a puff of your breath to send me soaring away. Maybe it’s because of my unassuming countenance that you find it so easy to defame me.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
Unappreciated
Today is the big day, is it? After all these years together, I’m going to be happily tossed out with the trash without as much as a farewell, or I appreciate all that you have done for me. Have you forgotten that I was with you from the very beginning? Without my help, many of your major accomplishments would never have happened. Let’s look back at what you and I have done together.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
The Great Debate
There have been many memorable debates since the beginning of humanity: Brutus v. Marc Antony, Lincoln v. Douglas, and Kennedy v. Nixon have all earned their place in history. None has been more contentious than the battle between Grandma Parker’s custard pie with a graham cracker crust and meringue topping versus newcomer Mildred O’Connor’s blueberry pie with a buttery pastry crust and lattice top.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction