Month: November 2008

Fiction: Upon the Altar of God

Posted on by bryon

Father Ramon stepped to the pulpit to deliver his Sunday morning homily. The familiar faces looked up at him with the familiar expressions: expectant, sleepy, thoughtful, judgmental, and blank. This Sunday, though, the old priest knew he would give them a lesson they would remember.

“You have noticed the sword on the high altar,” he began. “It has lain there for two weeks, now. I have told no one the story of how it came to be there, but I will tell you now.”

The sleepy and blank faces took on more life. The judgmental remained judgmental, as if daring the priest to be interesting.

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Fiction: Such a Nice Girl

Posted on by bryon

The bell over the door jangled as the young, snub-nosed blonde woman walked into the candy shop.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Frankel,” she said cheerily.

“Good afternoon, Miss Gabriela. And how are you today?”

“I’m doing very well, thank you. Oh, and those chocolate mints I got from you last week were so wonderful. I loved them.”

“I’m so glad, Miss. Perhaps you would like another pound. On the house, of course.”

“Well, I would like some more, Mr. Frankel. But just half a pound, and I insist on paying for them. No wonder you own a candy store; you’re so sweet.”

They exchanged more pleasantries, and Mr. Frankel handed Gabriela her candy and an envelope.

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Fiction: Rescue in an Antique Shop

Posted on by bryon

Kay strolled slowly through the antique shop. She and Barry had met in such a store. She gently lifted a nautical barometer.

“My, aren’t you handsome,” she said. “So manly and wise and helpful. Barry would have enjoyed you so much.” But she set it down again, a bit wistfully. Barry had broken off their relationship three years earlier and she had to visit antique stores alone.

Walking on, she saw a magazine rack that had been both well used and well cared for. She touched a corner. “Sam would have liked you, even though he wasn’t particularly fond of antiques. You would have looked good in his home.” But again she moved on; Sam had dated her, briefly, before Barry had.

Kay came around a corner in the shop and froze. There, at the end of the aisle, two little boys were engaged in a very serious tug-of-war with a china figurine. She strode down the aisle quickly.

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