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 (298/0)
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 Gagnon3 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 Gagnon3 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 Gagnon3 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 Gagnon3 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
Weapon II
https://vocal.media/chapters/weapon-d23ba09q6 Here is the link to part one of this story. I hope you enjoy it. The brain-renting sound stopped as suddenly as it had started. Dead birds and shattered dishes were the only physical evidence from the attack. People wandered about in a semiconscious daze clutching their heads and pounding their foreheads with clenched fists in a futile attempt to reduce the pain racking havoc in their brains. Out of an overabundance of caution, I had fitted a pair of noise-canceling hearing aids before leaving the embassy, which lessened but not eliminated, the sound's brain-scrambling effects. Unfortunately, Sergei and Li did not have the same protection.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Chapters
Almost a Victim
During my time on Vocal. I’ve published several computer scam stories, Click on Accept, and Gone Phishing to name a couple, but I’ve never experienced what it felt like firsthand. That is no longer true. Today has been a very eventful day, to say the least. Like with most stories, the best place to start is at the beginning.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in 01
- Top Story - January 2024
The Problem with TraditionsTop Story - January 2024
According to Dictionary.com, the definition of tradition is The handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc. from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. A long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Journal