Mark Gagnon
Bio
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
Achievements (1)
Stories (457)
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No Need For Resolutions
Marty sat in his one-room efficiency apartment watching New Year’s Eve festivities on his second-hand TV. Every year some celebrity counted down the seconds before the Times Square Ball began its descent, signaling the start of a new year. For Marty, the ball drop, and a calendar he received in the mail from his insurance company, were the only things that marked the end and beginning of each year. His life remained the same no matter the day, the season, or the year.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Humans
A Little Piece of Heaven
Every time I think my life couldn’t possibly be any better, POOF! WHAM! KAPOW! It becomes more heavenly. It didn’t start that way, not by a long shot. I was born into a dirt-poor family, the middle child of seven brothers and sisters. We usually had at least one meal a day during the summer and three when school was in session. All my clothes, from underwear to shoes, were hand-me-downs from my older siblings. My parents possessed no special skills, so they earned a living as day laborers. It looked like life had dealt me a losing hand from the start.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in 01
A Christmas Carol- The Aftermath
It was the night after Christmas when there arose such a commotion in the street below that I had to tear open the shutters and through up the sash to see what was going on. The clattering sound that woke me was a police wagon being pulled by two stout horses. The disturbance was happening directly below my window so that I could hear everyone’s conversation.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
The Guardian
Time affects both humans and dragons in much the same way. It drags us along entangled in its web until we can travel no longer. No matter how large or small, weak or strong, there is no defense against time. We simply must follow its lead. Alexander was no exception.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
Estate Sale
I enjoy perusing the classified ads. People will post everything from attempting to reconnect with a long-lost love to selling a pair of slightly used shoes. There really is something for everyone. Since I’m new to town, checking out the classifieds gives me some insight into the people who live here.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Horror
A Fresh Start
Living in the year 1819 meant only one thing for a large segment of the population—poverty, and despair. There were no government subsistence programs, unemployment checks, or homeless shelters. During this time in our history, the country was in the middle of a severe depression and everyone had to fend for themselves. It was certainly not a good time to be a ten-year-old boy abandoned by his parents and living in the streets of Boston. That, however, was the situation young Raymond was in. Added to his problems was that he was born with a club foot.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
What Goes Up
Alan left the sixth-floor law offices of Swindell and Shyster and walked to the elevator at the end of the long empty hallway. It was late and all the other offices on the floor were already locked for the weekend. He and his now ex-wife, Maggie, had spent the last three hours hammering out the last details of a very contentious divorce. By leaving first, Alan would avoid riding in an elevator with the woman who had just tried to take everything he possessed—both now and in the future.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Humans
The Guardian
Chapter I The marauding hordes of Jikininki, dead humans who still had partial brain function, were approaching. They possessed an insatiable hunger for living flesh. The Jikininki throng, driven forward by humans called Beast Masters who controlled them, crested the hills protecting Tranquility. Only the Indestructible Legion was powerful enough to repel the Army of the Soulless, and no one had seen them near Tranquility in decades.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
Ring Around the Rosie
Mystifying Marvin and his assistant, Bodacious Brenda, worked the senior circuit, which consisted of 55+ and assisted living communities. The duo, whose shows never lasted past 9:00p.m., bewildered and impressed their audiences with sleight of hand and Marvin’s specialty, hypnosis. Brenda would meander through the crowd, selecting unsuspecting and relatively spry audience members to take part in the hypnosis segment of the act.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Criminal
The Clan
The Clan has existed in this remote valley for a thousand years. There was enough land to farm, game to hunt, and stay totally isolated from the rest of the planet. Clan members resembled early pioneers in dress, housing, and way of life. Their government is like an oligarchy, minus the royal titles and trappings, but keeping all the brutality and iron-fisted rule. Four families controlled all government functions:
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
