Clay Harker

“The Return” by Clay Harker

Submitted to Contest #149

The lights flickered again as if some unseen hand were signaling for help in Morse code."What in the name of Jesus and all his carpenter friends is that?" Michael Castellanos hollered down to the captain, who was making his way back from the deck to the flying bridge. He had been the first to spot it but felt he couldn't trust his eyes without getting a little closer. Castellanos raised the enormous GeoVid binoculars to his eyes, blinked a few times, and was again taken aback by what was approaching the port side of their vessel.  ...

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“The Amber Room” by Clay Harker

"What do you mean it's been here the whole time?""Yes, since World War II." Brother Charles said, holding the door open, waiting for Jack to pick his jaw up from the ground and step inside. "It was smuggled here when the Nazis looted Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg. Let's be honest, who the hell is going to look in a sanctuary residing in little old Pecos, New Mexico?""I didn't think monks swore.""I'm a monk, not a saint.The man in monk's robes led Jack into the ornately decorated room. Great panels of gilded amber adorned each wall, ma...

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“The Spirit” by Clay Harker

"Run!" Garrett grabbed Heather by the arm and urged her forward through the woods. Something came crashing through the low trees, rough bark chips and splinters peppering Garrett in the onslaught. It happened so fast that he nor Heather had time to get out of the way. Only Barry, who had been further to the left of the path, saw, or more heard, it coming. It was an enormous grizzly barreling toward them. At least they thought it was a grizzly. It was like a dream. Those trees that were not smashed to bits seemed to bend around the creature...

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“Goodbye, Land of Enchantment” by Clay Harker

“It’s time to leave. Wave goodbye, and we’ll get on with our adventure,” my father said as if the pile of stucco and memories were a living thing to hug us and wish us well in return. No one could say I was upset about leaving. If I were, I played it off well for a fifteen-year-old. It manifested more like numbness and lack of attachment that would follow me for the next twenty-two years. Grandma bent over each of us and gave the “bendición,” a tradition going away blessing in the Hispanic culture. She wiped away my mother’s tears, she hugg...

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“A Captive Audience” by Clay Harker

"Nearly deafening," Tanis thought to herself. Though half her life had been spent living along the Massachusetts coast, she had never heard thunder this intense so close to the water. She recalled the Earth-shaking booms growing up in the flat-lands of New Mexico. That, and the growing coppery scent of moisture mixing with the red clay dirt, signaling an impending storm long before it ever reaches you. Not to mention the incredible lightning. Her parents would turn the lights out, open the window shades, and watch it for as long as the show ...

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“One Night In Nature Won't Kill Us” by Clay Harker

Submitted to Contest #130

“Just perfect.” “Dude, you’re only happy when you’re complaining. It’s probably why Jazz dumped you. You just need to be a little more like me, a real mellow fellow.” “Ouch! Jasmine wasn’t my type anyway. She digs guys with nothing more than vanity muscles, subterranean IQ's, and hot air. Chase Hunt is a prime example. Even the guy’s name screams “country club prestige to make up for a tiny—” “I get it.” “I’m just saying, it’s getting darker, we’re out of jerky, and I’m exhausted. My phone is dead, and we didn’t exactly leave a trail of ...

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“Don't let the candles go out...” by Clay Harker

Submitted to Contest #92

Houses are built for all kinds of purposes. Some to shelter a family, others to worship in. Occasionally, in those most ancient of places, houses are built not to keep out the wind and rain, or the animals and the outside world, but to keep something else in… “Here’s the spare keys, and here’s the combo to the pumphouse lock. Mi casa es su casa” said the now-former owner of this pile with a smirk. "Welcome to Legba, Louisiana." “Not an attractive offer,” Shane mumbled quietly. “Didn’t seersucker go out with ragtime music? That guy can keep...

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“We Want You…” by Clay Harker

Submitted to Contest #92

Lights out. “What the hell was it this time?” Jade muttered to herself. Seems like ever since she and her father moved to Mercy’s Landing the power outages have become more and more frequent. Longer too. You’d think in the 21st century someone would get this kind of thing straightened out. Funny enough, her father was a field operations supervisor for one of the largest power companies in Massachusetts. The inability to prevent and fix these problems was a running joke when she felt like ripping on the old guy.  Six months they've been...

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“Collecting the Devil's Due” by Clay Harker

Submitted to Contest #91

It’s not like he asked for this, and he sure didn’t go looking for trouble either. But, it’s like his Pop used to say; “If trouble comes knocking, and your words aren’t working, you better finish it and finish it quick, one way or another.” Well, trouble did come knocking and it didn’t seem like there was going to be any sweet-talking his way out of whatever the hell this was all about. Tuesday was usually Kitt’s “library and chill” day, opting for the quiet solitude the Boston Athenaeum offered over sloughing off elsewhere or knocking arou...

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