"Reborn" - Last One Standing Tall

A fantasy-western serial





Episode 15: “Reborn”


Reed wandered through a forest with trees so tall that he couldn't see the sky. But he could feel the sun. He held up his hands. Sunlight penetrated the canopy, yellow rays illuminating the new seeds of life blowing on the wind. Regeneration had begun. He could feel it deep within himself.
"Plant the seed!"

Reed spun around, but there was no one there. That was impossible. He had heard someone!

The dream faded as he regained consciousness, although the words echoed in his mind as if they had been shouted directly into his ear. He could feel fingers pressed against his neck. Reed could understand the words being spoken near him again.

“How do you even know if he has a heart? He's not like us.”

“He does. It may not be exactly like ours, but it’s there. I’ve felt it before.”

“Shush! He’s coming around. Give him room.”

Reed opened his eyes and found his two companions staring down at him. Sam promptly cuffed him on the side of the head. Reed grimaced at him.

"The Fog Descends" - 11 & Counting

An urban fantasy serial.

Part 15 – The Fog Descends


A thick fog surrounded the farmhouse early the next morning.

Aunt Jenna watched it from the safety of her kitchen, standing close to the stove. Her fingers rested just above her old kettle, feeling the steam just starting to rise from the spout. It wasn't abnormal, but she sensed something strange about it.

Easing the window open just enough to let in a draft of air, she closed her eyes and sniffed deeply. The saline scent carried on the wind was heavy and fragrant. In that moment she could not only see but hear the rolling waves of the ocean. A tear rolled down her cheek. Her hand began to push the window open further. A voice called to her from the waves.

Don’t be afraid. The water is fine. Come to me.

"Breakthrough" - Last One Standing Tall

A fantasy-western serial



Episode 14: "Breakthrough"

Reed observed the guards posted at each of the exits out of the crystal mine, noting their rounds. Unlike the others around them that were forced to mine the crystals, Reed, Anna and her aging father, Sam, were responsible for pushing along the heavy mine carts across the open expanse of the bottom of the cavern. The wheels almost made it more difficult because they were old, rusted and bent in all the wrong places. If pushed too hard from one angle they would get stuck on the rails and pushed from another they would nearly tip off the rails. Reed tried to take on the brunt of the work, but he was surprised by how fiercely Anna and Sam fought to keep Reed’s pace.


“Let me handle it,” he insisted.

“Like hell I will,” Sam said, spitting to the side. Anna simply glared at him. That settled the matter.

Writing Goals from 2010 & for 2011

It's January once again, so it's time to think about what I'd like to do better this year. Most people call them resolutions, but I'm going to call mine goals since "resolutions" tend to be abandoned as soon as February rolls around.

But first, an update on where I was last year at this time:

2010 Writing Goals:
- Experience "a year of creativity and growth"
- Finish "Home Run Sonic" (this one has been lingering since '02)
- Finish 2nd Draft of Rad novel (NaNoWriMo 2009 novel)
- Finish 1st Draft of Dreamshapers novel
- Work on some more fan fiction