Just Cold

by Mickey Hunt
  

     When the doorbell rang, Mr. Reynolds went to answer. The young man on the front steps popped open a beer can he had pulled from his ragged, oversized coat. “Are you on the wagon?” he asked, and offered Mr. Reynolds the first slug.

     “Lee,” Mrs. Reynolds called from behind her husband. “It’s freezing outside. The chowder? The children are hungry.”
     “We’re sitting down for supper,” Mr. Reynolds said to the boy. “What, what’s your name?”
     “Jeffrey. I’ve got some peanuts. Give them to your kids.” He set the beer down and fumbled at his coat. “That’s a nice manger scene in your yard. It’s like real.” 

"Just Cold" (1000 words) has been accepted for a December, 2016 release by an online magazine with an improbable name.

The story of the real Jeffrey (as shown on a WLOS Television News story).

UPDATE 10/24/16: Read "Just Cold" HERE.

Turtle of the World

by Mickey Hunt

    "Your aunt wrote to me about the strange happenings at the Swan Mountain Retreat Center.  She said they foreshadowed the potential end of all humanity.”
    “Holy Moley! The end of all humanity?”  I pulled off to the side and a car blared its horn as it flew by.  “She never told me. It’s worse than I guessed.”
    “You don’t think she exaggerated?”
    I shook my head. “Mr. Jonathan T. Barron, be real careful there. My Aunt Ilana never exaggerates. The end of humanity. Whew.” I put the truck in gear and resumed our drive.
    "O-kay,” he said. “Trash raided, dogs and cats eaten, mangled birds lying on the ground, the larder broken into and food stolen. Wild screams in the darkness." He removed a photograph from his pocket and flashed it to me. "What do you think this is?"

Turtle of the World (8000 words) takes place in western North Carolina.  Read the entire story HERE.

Miss Thurman's Intervention

by Mickey Hunt

“Miss Thurman, I’m not working for you anymore on my day off,” Barry said and closed the hatch of the Subaru.

     “Here, take this.”  Miss Thurman held a folded $10 bill.

     “Now, you know I’m not allowed tips,” Barry said.

     “You’re a young man and you need money for your future, for your braces when you get them.  You should go to college.”  She paused a moment and said, “I couldn’t possibly lift those chicken feed bags when I get home.  My figure has turned into a dumpling.”

     Barry pursed his lips over his jutting front teeth.  “I’ve saved money for braces,” he said.  “This is a good job—Whatley’s pays for health insurance, too.  Did you hear me?  I won’t do your yard work unless we clean up your house.  You have a problem.”

     Miss T’s lower lip drooped like she might cry...

Thumbnail: Barry, a neatnick, does yardwork on his days off for Miss Thurman, a compulsive hoarder.  The story was a finalist in the 2016 Neoverse writing competition, but didn't win.  Read it in full HERE.

Not the Wrong Planet

by Mickey Hunt

The Radiant entered a high, slow orbit around Lumen.

Alone in his tiny quarters, Specialist Johnten stared from the port window at the charcoal-black nightside of the planet. No lights broke the gloom below...

Another lonely, silent world.

Like me...


Not the Wrong Planet (1080 words) was first published in the near professional level e-mag Penumbra in the November 2014 issue.  But the parent company, Musa, went out of business early in 2015 and took down all its past issues.

But, the story is out again as of December 2015 at AntipodeanSF, an online Australian-based publication. Find it RIGHT HERE. In January, 2016, AntiSF made it available as an audio podcast read by me. The podcast may be heard HERE.

Spark

by Mickey Hunt

"Welcome to the edge of the universe," I said cheerfully. "The very edge."

The clutch of tourists easing into my parent's store seemed overawed.  At night, part of our sky is lit with nebulae, pulsars, galaxy clusters, and all sorts of stuff, but the rest of the sky is black, pitch black.  As far as anyone knows, no electromagnetic phenomena, gravity, or nothing ever emanates from out there...

Find Spark at 365 Tomorrows.

Read it with a New & Better ending at Rapid River Magazine. (1/7/16)

Demon Dragonfly

by Mickey Hunt
      The slave Mao Ping picked himself up from the street and dusted off his elegant embroidered robe. His cowardly porter peeked from behind a vendor stall, stumbled out to him, and bent over to reclaim the brown, cloth-wrapped package.

      Happily, Mao Ping thought, the mysterious package did not appear damaged. It might be the open umbrella of a princess, but was heavier, as he had noticed earlier when they collected it at the wood carver’s shop.

Demon Dragonfly (2644 words) was rejected 29 times.  It was a finalist in the 2016 Neoverse writing competition. Read the story HERE.