Thomas Kennedy
Stories (14/0)
The Mountain Journey
There weren’t always dragons in the valley. That’s why it was so terrible that morning. In most of the Realm, especially regions where dragons are common, they have watchtowers that are continuously manned, watching the skies for anything too large to be a bird. There are horses, specially bred for speed and endurance, with daring riders who will race outside the town to draw the dragon’s attention, and lead them away from the farms and buildings. In larger cities, they even have trained artillerists, with ballistae and catapults, who can knock a dragon out of the sky with a single well-aimed javelin or boulder.
By Thomas Kennedy2 years ago in Fiction
Skating Free
“Pass it here! I’m open, I’m open!” Todd couldn’t see the person yelling, but he knew to rely on his instincts. With a quick twist of his hips, he shot a pass to center of the ice, where Derek had managed to find an opening in between the two defenders. Derek hammered the puck with a powerful slapshot, and it whistled through the air, over the opposing goalie’s stick and into the net.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Fiction
Launch Test
“Red Deck!” As the command echoed throughout the ship, the lights on the Launch Deck shifted to red, bathing the brand-new Eagle S-3 fighters in a crimson glow. The red signified to everyone on the Deck that flight operations were beginning, but the fighters were not yet ready to launch. For the pilots and flight crews running down their prelaunch checklists, this was routine.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Futurism
Erastas
The smell of flowers hit John’s nose the second he walked through the door. Of course, it was a flower shop, isn’t that what you’d expect to smell? But John had been in flower shops before. They always smelled nice, but the odors in this particular establishment were overwhelming. John looked around, and marveled at the rows upon rows of flowers that lined the store, almost like a beautiful quilt featuring every color of the rainbow, blanketing around the store. It should’ve made John feel peaceful and happy. And yet, an eerie gloom hung around the store, almost as if the aura itself could remind anyone who walked in here that no place could possibly be this good.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Horror
Searching for Sharks
Even with nothing but a thin wetsuit, the warm waters of the Caribbean felt almost like bathwater on Jordan’s skin. Diving on the west coast, where Jordan had lived his entire life, was always fun in its own way. But there was something special about the beauty of the waters here off of the east coast of Honduras. Of course, perhaps it was just the natural high of being somewhere new-vacations like this were rare with a PhD workload and teaching assistant salary. Jordan slowly let air some air into his BCD (the inflatable jacket divers wear around that holds their tank and controls their buoyancy) and came to a hover fifty meters beneath the surface. He looked over to his right, where Meghan was almost slowing her descent. She looked at him and gave him the OK sign, the universal underwater symbol for being all good, and added an excited smile for good measure.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Fiction
Searching for Sharks
Even with nothing but a thin wetsuit, the warm waters of the Caribbean felt almost like bathwater on Jordan’s skin. Diving on the west coast, where Jordan had lived his entire life, was always fun in its own way. But there was something special about the beauty of the waters here off of the east coast of Honduras. Of course, perhaps it was just the natural high of being somewhere new-vacations like this were rare with a PhD workload and teaching assistant salary. Jordan slowly let air some air into his BCD (the inflatable jacket divers wear around that holds their tank and controls their buoyancy) and came to a hover fifty meters beneath the surface. He looked over to his right, where Meghan was almost slowing her descent. She looked at him and gave him the OK sign, the universal underwater symbol for being all good, and added an excited smile for good measure.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Fiction
The Box Game
Do you feel lucky? That’s really the only question that matters. It’s a big reason for why the game has gotten so popular. There are no feats of strength or stamina to attempt, no challenges of intellect to conquer, and no social hierarchies to climb. All you have to do is guess, and all that matters is your luck.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Fiction
The Woman in the Diner
Mike was on his third cup of coffee and four chapters into his book when the woman walked into the diner. She wasn’t hard to spot; as it was a little after eleven, it was too late for breakfast, but not quite early enough for the lunch rush. This particular woman would’ve drawn eyes regardless of the crowd. She looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties, thin, long blonde hair, wearing nothing but a short blue dress underneath her coat. Most of the men in the diner were transfixed from the moment she walked in. Not Mike, though. He had been waiting for this particular woman all morning, but now that she had arrived, he steadfastly avoided even a glance in her direction.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Fiction
The Wedding Gift
It was the perfect day for a wedding. The sun was bright and warm, but there was a nice breeze to keep things from getting too warm. The ceremony had been held in a field on the farm owned by the bride’s parents, and now the hundred or so family and friends of the newlywed couple had migrated to large, red barn just behind the house. The farm equipment had been cleared out, and tables been set up, with a dance floor off in the back where the combine was usually parked. Wildflowers from around farm decorated the building, all handpicked by the bridesmaids early in the morning. The groom’s parents owned the most popular restaurant in town, and the barn was filled with smells of meatloaf and chicken and fresh buttered corn. Nothing fancy, but everyone said it was perfect, just perfect.
By Thomas Kennedy3 years ago in Fiction