Christopher Jones
Bio
High school chemistry teacher with a passion for science and the outdoors. Living in Utah I'm raising a family while climbing and creating.
My stories range from thoughtful poems to speculative fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller/horror.
Achievements (1)
Stories (18/0)
Shackles of Addiction
Several years ago on a wet December evening in Lehi, UT I bought dinner for a homeless addict woman. On my way to a White-Elephant Sock Exchange Christmas party, I had stopped at Walmart to purchase a pair of infant socks. Yes, I’m that kind of guy. Everyone gifted regular socks while I gave baby socks. As I left the parking lot I noticed a woman shivering on the curb. She wasn’t begging, but did look cold and miserable. The stained puffy jacket gave away her homely state.
By Christopher Jones13 days ago in Motivation
Sanitary and Wholesome
If walls could talk, I’d tell you the miracle that I am. I contain the essence of survival, of ingenuity, of human compassion. I also contain the sorrows and the pains, the sufferings and afflictions. I am sanitary and wholesome. Wires snake through my walls like a pulse of dedication to feed into technology that scans and cuts and diagnoses. Mortality is a fragile reality, and too often people are snuffed out of such marvels. But here within my domain, I watch individuals come together to clutch at threads, pull, weave, fasten, and save a life that would have otherwise been consumed to injury, infection, or malicious cells.
By Christopher Jonesabout a month ago in Fiction
Moonlight Buttress
If walls could talk, I would tell the human race of their insignificance. Here I stand, a sentinel to the works of ancient nature, a sandstone wall that has seen the passing of time, and every bipedal creature fumbling at my foundation can never comprehend. With a great sigh, the golden morning light touches upon my fractured rust-colored face. Dew collects upon the cottonwoods below and deer, foxes, and wild turkey forage in the yellowing grass. Calm and settled, the sediment rich turquoise waters of the Virgin River flow and wind past my majesty around the bend and disappear behind the great bluff the human’s call Angel’s Landing.
By Christopher Jonesabout a month ago in Fiction
Chaos I Contain
If walls could talk, oh, the things I’d tell you about the chaos I contain, how I witness the unraveling of society like a mutant cat attacking a ball of yarn. I’d also tell you, how I’m just a degenerate like the rest of my compatriots. And they’ll complain just the same. Because in the end, I’m government funded.
By Christopher Jonesabout a month ago in Fiction
- Runner-Up in Reset Your Password Challenge
Digital ParadiseRunner-Up in Reset Your Password Challenge
Silty rain washes down your window. Lights flicker. Rattle. A nearby monorail passes on squealing joints. A flood is likely. The East drowns. The West is bone dry almost like The Grapes of Wrath in reverse. Don’t get me started on politics. Schools, gay bars, and churches are blood baths and bullet smoke vigils. The right-wings foster single-minded conspiracies and rig elections from the bottom up, and the left-wings chant equality but sip martinis and turn down bills that will shrink their estates. Sounds like someone needs an escape. Sounds like someone needs Digital Paradise™.
By Christopher Jones2 months ago in Fiction
Orange Sun
The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. There it was. An orange orb in the sky. The sun. She heard it should be too bright to look at, but it hung behind brown hills and a wall of dust bearing towards them. The room rumbled and trophies and plaques shook in their stands. He quickly shut the window and flashed a smile then coughed.
By Christopher Jones3 months ago in Fiction
Klaus: An Amazing Holiday Movie Except… the Teacher
While in the throes of the holidays, many of us sit down with family and friends and watch movies. Tradition, right? Though most movies or TV specials are campy, sometimes you get that perfect balance of holiday cheer, fresh perspective, and that good old emotional tug-of-the-heart. A notable addition to the vast archive of festive films is Netflix’s 2019 Klaus. The film is rife with dark humor, beautiful art, memorable characters, and a unique spin on the origin story of Santa Claus. Klaus has made it to the top of my holiday movies. It sits next to some classics such as Elf, Home Alone, Die Hard (fight me on this one), and a lesser known one We’re No Angels. Despite all the positives and academy accolades, however, one issue stands out with the movie. One particular character brings to light a major flaw in modern society and merits discussion. The Teacher, Alva. She's the love interest of the film and plays a large role in Jesper's selfish-to-selfless arc. Her story is simple. She came to the fictional Norwegian town, Smeerensburg, to teach, but as the years passed her bright optimism disappeared due to the town’s impossible feud. We watch as she overcomes her misery, sacrifices much, and works to establish an education for children regardless of the town's political divisions. She becomes a model teacher many hope to have in an American classroom. At the same time, however, Alva's story demonstrates the cause of America’s failing education system through teacher treatment and safety, learning prioritization, and inadequate funding. This article examines the portrayal of Alva as a teacher and how she represents America’s–and many other countries–exploited, underpaid nurturers of society.
By Christopher Jones3 months ago in Education
Haunter: Ghost-for-Hire (Chapter 02)
Chapter Two There you have it, life of a Ghost-for-Hire. I’m Haunter, deader than a coffin nail or however that old saying goes. Now, I’m sure, dear reader, you’re dying to hear about the ins-and-outs of the afterlife and learn what it’s like after you close your mortal eyes for good. I mean, it’s the speculation of the millennium that philosophers and scholars, poets and writers, theologists and gurus have spent countless hours stewing over, so I’m going to share with you my afterlife story for the hell of it.
By Christopher Jones3 months ago in Horror
