Michael J Massey
Bio
I am a Care Manager, amateur boxer-in-training, chaplain that enjoys spending hours crafting short story fiction. Published author and screenplay writer.
Stories (19/0)
Czech Mate
Georg Whitner was still groggy from his best friend's bachelor party. Vienna in August 1939 became a hedonist playground for him, the groom-to-be, and a few friends from university. No sex club was too crazy no beverage too unsavory for these three men to drink, eat or play with. As the sun began to peek over the horizon, Georg knew something was off, not right. A night of revelry had gone wrong and his world was sliding out of focus.
By Michael J Massey2 years ago in Humans
Carpe Diem
Sweat soaked through Christian’s turtleneck and dripped off his forehead after hours of scraping and digging. The ground muddy and cold after the storm passed through bringing a mix of rain and flurries with it. The drop in temperature making things harder and doing nothing to cool his sweaty body.
By Michael J Massey2 years ago in Fiction
Jorvik
Jorvik (Vocal Contest) Gunnar thought he had seen enough barren wasteland, much like the villages surrounding his village. Grey and desolate places where Hel, the goddess of the underworld reigned. He was charged with anticipation as his ship sliced through the cold seas to reveal the land of the Celts. Formidable and bleak, there were spots of umber and green pockmarking the surface barely visible on the distant horizon. His men had been grumbling for weeks on this vessel and now he praised Thor for delivering them into nirvana. Rumors abounded throughout the land that gold and jewels were in plentiful supply once you left the shores of Scandinavia. Shining goblets, ruby rings, and so much coin that you needed twelve wooden trunks to carry it.
By Michael J Massey2 years ago in Fiction
Soul Man
Christopher remembered the day he shipped out. It was a sultry Sunday afternoon after a tearful Mass where the entire Russell clan prayed fervently for his safe return to this Dublin parish. He could have used their pitiful moaning when he was wrecked by a gang after a pub fight, or spent months in a dingy cell for stealing or the years of hunger and beatings at the hands of his Da. All of that made him into a holy terror, feared by his family. Now the war was raging in the Pacific and the British Empire needed strong hungry lads like Chris to help defeat the Japanese.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
The Hidden
The Welsh border is foreboding and breathtaking, filled with rolling green hills and ancient ruins. The ideal spot for Jed and Olivia Peale to live their dream life. Jed was at the top of his career working as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, just landing a job at the top hospital in Cardiff. Olivia has a Ph.D. in medieval history and escaping here is the perfect sabbatical for her to research the reign of Mary, otherwise known as Bloody Mary Tudor.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
Pale Shelter
Micah Redmane always hated roller coasters. Ever since his mother took him to Coney Island when he was 8 and forced him onto The Hurricane with his older brother, Angus. It was almost like she felt compelled to forget they were immigrants by doing American activities. He would have been just as happy playing stickball with his mates. But no. She had to stuff him full of grimy Nathan’s hot dogs and Coke and pop him into the rickety seat with his brother. One minute they were headed up, the next there was projectile vomit from him landing on two seats ahead of him. That was his first and last carnival ride and he vowed never to be forced into anything and to always be in charge and control.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
Swiss Remains
Forty-eight hours ago, Duane Tungstien was snapping pictures of some scumbag husband meeting his girlfriend in a sleazy hotel outside Chicago. Now, he is trapped in a ski chalet 100 miles from Zurich in the middle of a freak March storm with a motley crew of guests and a trunk with ghoulish carvings and no heat — a nightmare that has no beginning and no end. Who knew he would be longing for the endless sex scandals like a drug instead of being trapped with a cast of characters from Clue.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
Tree of Life
Emmanuel Navarro stepped slowly into the warm waters of the sea to begin his prayers. While not a typical way to pray to Allah, this is where he felt his faith driving and strengthening him. The power of the waves cascading down to the beach as he knelt in the wet sand, salty spray penetrating his nose and soaking his shoulder-length black curly hair. Muslims controlled Barcelona in 950, but Christianity was slowly pushing into the Iberian peninsula, although he had very little exposure to this new, odd faith as a child of royals. As he sang to Allah, focused on the morning ritual, not taking much notice of the event that was occurring close to the black boulders to his right.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
Trapped
January 1780 was the most bitter winter that Jedson had ever experienced, and he’d been hunting and trapping in this part of the Smoky Mountains for nearly 20 years. He was 50 and too old to join the local Virginia regiment to fight the Redcoats. No, Jed was much happier using his keen tracking sense to find beaver, than wasting time and musket balls on the British. Trudging through the sweet pine needles and snowpack, he carefully and quietly made his way through the area near the Shenandoah Ridge. Six feet tall and lean, he resembled a gnarly apple tree with gangly arms and legs, so he had to work hard to be quiet. Making his way to a clearing in the distance, he shoved his long, brown, disheveled hair under his cap and rewrapped his hands with pelts to keep from getting frostbite. His lined and leathered face portrayed 50 years of wilderness living. His destination was a cabin on the other side of the clearing that served as a welcome respite from the elements.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
Havana Nights
The wettest heat wave ever to strike NYC happened Labor Day Weekend 1959. While everyone else scurrying to work on Madison Avenue was melting through their clothes, Edward Singleton strolled to work in his perfect Brooks Brothers suit and black wingtip shoes shined to perfection. Black sunglasses hiding his piercing blue eyes, he turned many necks as he worked his way through the crowd to get to his job as an account executive at Spicer and Lowe. Once inside the cool building, he popped his sunglasses into his breast pocket before sliding into a closing elevator. Pushing the button for the 7th floor, he waited patiently until the soft whoosh and ding announced his arrival.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Crimson rivulets of blood flowed through the street like tiny rivers of wine on their way to a stinking sewer, never knowing the DNA imprinted within it. Alec Denton relives those moments every hour of every day. The shrieking sirens, tire squeals, and alarms push him over the top into an inconsolable case of PTSD, forcing him to take refuge in multiple pints of beer. The hell with no escape was a far cry from what he thought his life was about.
By Michael J Massey3 years ago in Fiction
