The Promise - a short story

The Promise (Fiction 101 Series)

Aaron blew out all one-hundred candles. The assisted living nurse cut his cake. He always liked his birthday. And this was the day he needed to fulfill a promise. The morning after his fiftieth birthday, his mom had called him and said, “Welcome to the second half of your life.” And that’s when he made the promise. Aaron had been an avid cyclist most of his life. His plan, ride his age every birthday. So, after his morning birthday party he snuck out of the facility and prepared his bicycle. Ten long hours later he finished. The next day, he died smiling. 

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"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7

A Different Smile - a short story

On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic...

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A Different Smile (Fiction 101 Series)

“Can you tell the difference?” The salesperson asked. He tapped his pad for the units to rotate.
“Not yet,” she looked them over from head to toe. “Biotech integrated?”
“Of course,” he assured her. “And with memory reset – if you’re ever inclined.”
“When?”

“Today, if you like!” His enthusiasm betrayed him. 
“You know I meant the time period.”
He checked his pad, “1920.”
“Ask them to smile,” she insisted.
Reluctantly, he accommodated her request. Each unit smiled.
“These three are the same. That one’s different,” she pointed.
He coughed and double-checked his pad, “My apologies. That’s our 2020 model.”
“Looks anxious.”

Tears of War - a short story

Tears of War (Fiction 101 Series)

The generals exhausted all options – on all sides. All the options exhausted nearly every resource. No bullets. No bombs. Depleted crops. Limited energy. Clean water, more valuable than gold. Until one day a scientist came across a unique discovery. After the last fallout, a specific compound mutated. The tears of children could be used to regenerate crops – even purify water. However, one side-effect placed the children in a conundrum. The tears could be weaponized by inflicting extreme passivity, and the opposition would just lie down and die. Eventually, the children learned how to only cry tears for peace, and not war. 

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To the day when there will be no more tears!