Preaching to a Bear
At a certain college campus in Texas, where all the tallest tales begin, a trio of chaplains ministered to the students, each to his particular religion. The priest, Pentecostal preacher, and rabbi would often meet at the quieter of the three coffee...
Tending to Important Matters
**_Sunday Morning_** I stirred gently, waking to the sounds of birds and a whisper of soft music barely beginning. Stretching, I reached over to turn off the alarm. Some years ago, I had discovered the CD called_Morning/Jewel,_and I realized that...
FlashFic: After the Funeral
He lies dozing in my arms, finally having cried his fill. I still pet the pup's long, silken headfur tenderly, wishing that I could take away from him some of the pain, but knowing that pain at least as well as himself. It's not an easy thing, losing...
Collar
Rain can be a blessing or a curse, a pleasure or a penance, usually dependent upon three things: How much of it there is, whether or not you have to venture out in it, and what sort of things happen to you while it's going on. On a day when you can...
Richard Cory
He always smelled of sex, whether his own or someone else's mixed with his own. I guess he couldn't help it, if I'm being honest - how many maned, long-furred, melanistic tigers are there in the world, much less one so perfectly lean and hard-muscled...
Amphorae
I stretched as well as an old wolf can, feeling my muscles trying to explain to me, yet again, that they all wanted to be laid tenderly, horizontally, upon the comfort of my bed, rather than more vertically in the office chair in front of my screens...
Visitor's Vita
When Lightwing and I got to the den, I half expected to see Rainmist in the same chair I'd seen her in last night, gazing out the window. Tonight, there was no rain to attract her attention, so I wasn't all that surprised to see her in one of the...
Rooibos and Reflection
The stairs from the South Tower weren't as grand as the central stairs up to the living quarters, nor as beautiful as the stairs on the north side, with its warm display of windows. This staircase was as wide as the stairwell on the north, but the...
Epilog -- Famous Last Words
That was more than two years ago now. Much has changed since then, and I thought that I should tell you what's happened. Darkstar informs me that this is called "breaking the fourth wall." That's a construct of narrative, he says. Truthfully, my...
Reunion, Part 3
By the time I'd gotten home that evening, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, like some huge grimy cloak that I couldn't shed or clean off of me. I tried to get rid of it by standing for a long time under the hot spray of my shower; it...
Will You Serve
The drive back to my house -- I still couldn't quite call it "home," for so many reasons -- was calming, thoughtful... thought-full. I didn't feel burdened or depressed in any way. I wasn't even whelmed (Darkstar assured me that it really was a word)....
Right of Passage
Elliot tried to finish his soda slowly, but it was difficult with all the sounds of pounding bass rhythms next door almost strong enough to feel through the floor. The diner was reasonably well soundproofed; if it weren't, chances were good that they'd...