by Michael Kingswood Kevlar and ballistic plating doesn’t help worth a damn against magic. Sergeant John Singleton really wished he’d known the suspect was going to turn out to be a wizard. He would have called for Special Magics. Instead, SWAT showed up, and they never had a chance. John’s police cruiser sat cross-ways across…
Tag: Short Story
Hermes’ Kringle
by Michael Kingswood If someone had told Brian’s 8-year old self that he would one day be outside the world fixing Santa Claus, he would have laughed and called him crazy. But then, when he was 8 years old Brian hadn’t really had a notion that there really was an outside of the world. It…
Smoke and Embers
by Michael Kingswood Woodsmoke filled the air despite the stiff breeze blowing in from the east. It seemed to rise from everywhere, and never mind the determined efforts of the fire department personnel, who had labored for hours to contain the fire. Where once this had been a non-denominational neighborhood chapel—white and pure exterior finish,…
Give A Dog A Bone – A Doggy Mystery
by Michael Kingswood Harry loped along beside his best buddy John, the grass of the park where John liked to go running soft beneath Harry’s feet and the air rife with scents: clipped grass, John’s sweat, pollen, and despite the bright sun overhead, humidity like just before a good rain. Breathing easily through his mouth…
The Battleship Frances
by Bluestem The room was empty save for the two of us. It looked as if it was just going to be Frances and me. It didn’t matter. I knew immediately upon meeting her that I could count on Frances. She’d sort things out. I knew she would. Not because she’d told me, but because…
Fences and Neighbors
by Michael Kingswood Jerome’s back ached. A constant state of things after years spent hunched over his fields, tending his plantings. But today it was worse. The lingering chill from a winter that refused to leave made his joints stiff, lending an extra bit of oomph to the complaints from his spine. He gritted his…
Case of the Missing Rocker
by Michael Kingswood “What’s with the hat?” Dominic was looking at a holopic that was hanging on one of the beige-painted walls of the waiting room he and his partner, Alex, had been pacing around in for the last fifteen minutes. The 3D image showed a slender yet muscular man, stripped to the waist and…
Popper’s
by Michael Kingswood It was nearing the end of David’s shift at Popper’s Books And Things. Even for a Tuesday, it had been a slow day. Maybe half a dozen people had actually bought something all day; not for the first time, he pondered whether working the counter at a small bookstore was the best…
Naughty and Nice – A Dustin Cofield Adventure
by Michael Kingswood Nora didn’t realize it, but this was going to be the best day of her life. I had it all planned out. Pick her up after work, and zip off to the airport for a spontaneous getaway. Paris – the city of lights. Every girl’s favorite destination. It was going to be…
Red Orchid
by Michael Kingswood George paused inside the doorway to the back patio of Gepetto’s and adjusted his tie. He had selected a light blue one with silver-white polka dots, to offset the charcoal grey of his suit. It was a good look, he knew, and he knew the tie accentuated his eyes nicely. He would…