Mental Escape as Published in the Isolation Anthology

Warning: Reader Discretion Advised

The story that follows is intense and not for all readers.

I submitted this short story to a Halloween anthology called Isolation. It is a horror anthology, and this is essentially a prisoner of war story. I intentionally don't give any details about the main character, but show the world through their eyes. I added the images for the blog post. They are not in the anthology, but the words are unchanged.

I also intentionally made it so that you'd have to click the link to read it. It's up to you.

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You Left Me

You cried out in the middle of the night. I answered your pleas and helped to the best of my ability.
A few days later, you beg for help once again. I come to your aid and held your hand a second time.
The third time you reached out for help, I reached out and wanted to help, but you ignored me.

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The post NaNoWriMo Writing Slump

The first week of December I hear from countless writers that they are struggling to continue writing. Undoubtedly, they were writing machines during the month of November. In my mind, it’s no different from athlete coming off the field and the adrenaline dump that usually follows. I’ve termed it “The Nano slump.” It’s a writers slump, it will clear up. It will get better, but you need to realize that your practices during the month of November aren’t sustainable long term. This is where you need to take a hard look at the strategies you used to achieve your fifty thousand word goal and decide which ones can stay.

Some people clear their calendars for NaNoWriMo. Many of us lock ourselves away, skipping every social event except for Thanksgiving in the US, or give up television for the month. This isn’t sustainable long-term, not if you want to keep your friends and family happy. This is where you need to put on that detective’s hat. No, I’m not giving you murder mystery to solve. What I want you to do is find out if writing is going to be a long-term feature in your life or November only project. There’s nothing wrong with confining your writing to November, if that’s what you genuinely want to do.

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You Might Be Married to a Homebrewer If:

  • Throwing out certain empty beer bottles is a crime.
  • You have kettles large enough for small children to bathe in.
  • You have corny kegs scattered about your house.
  • One of the first five questions you ask people is their favorite style of beer. (It’s even better if you can reply: I have that on tap.)
  • The beer mugs (most of them) are stored in the freezer.

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Flash Fiction: Coffee

 

The steaming black liquid flowed into the tall slender vessel.
Nearing the top, the flow was stopped
Cream joined in to create a tan color.
Sweet was added to the party.
A whirlpool was created to blend the trio.
Needy hands grabbed the vessel and proceeded to guzzle the liquid.
Caffeine erased the morning fog and thoughts began to flow.
Words were soon to follow.

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