F.O. Morier

“A squire from twenty years ago.” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #183

A long time ago I was once invited, by two spinsters, to visit an estate. I had never been to that area before and I found the scenery extremely beautiful and scenic. l stopped at an inn for some food. The host was easy-going and talkative, benevolent, and willing to accommodate his guests with an endless talk on any subject. I asked him for some information about the domain I was going to, because I had never been there before, and I wanted to have an idea of where I was going. He told me that no one had lived there for over twenty yea...

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“Where is my mom?” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #182

My mother had her own house, but she refused to live in it. She was convinced that I had installed eavesdropping devices in order to post her life on Instagram. A week after her seventieth birthday, she told a neighbor that she was going to Hollywood because she had friends living there who meant well with her and whom she could trust. . Mom loaded up her car and left. It did not take long, of course, before I had the police on the phone. They had found my mother sleeping on the street. The officers had taken her away and she had made a stat...

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“Cookies on the path between highs and lows” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #181

-"My mother was always stuck in her puberty." she says as she storms in.  -"Okay." I say surprised. She drops onto the couch and sigs: "Yeah!" -"And what led you to that conclusion? Did something happen?" I ask curiously. -"She's emotionally stuck in her teens. That's probably a leftover from her Catholic upbringing." she spits angrily. -"I do not follow you." I gently let her know. -"Her family has always swept trauma after trauma under the rug." I was eager to ask for an explanation but decided to keep my mouth shut and let her vent. ...

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“The pokerplayer” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #180

 trigger warning: gambling. Keith was an old-school gambler. He did not believe in modern and electronic gadgets. According to him, that only served to look chic, and posh. But that was the current situation in casinos these days. He cared little for games of chance and other rigged things. He thought that was nothing but inconvenient. He could be given a good poker game at any time, and Keith was happy. He stood in the doorway of the Desert Casino, silhouetted against the gaudy lights flashing inside, and waited. Patiently. Inside, w...

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“Mosaic into another forest” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #179

-"I don't make resolutions." she says dreamily to herself, "That only betrays that we expect that the paths we've walked in the past year will be the same ones we're going to take in the next. Or at least the fear of it. That is probably why we are not able to keep them. Fear is a bad motivator. At least for me anyway." -No resolutions," I say softly, "but intentions perhaps?" She shakes her head resolutely, sinks back on the couch, and puts one arm under her head. -"I remap." she says, staring at the ceiling. "I paint a mosaic that runs in ...

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“Christmas jealousy and Hannukah magic.” by F.O. Morier

When I turned on my computer this morning, the first thing I saw was a message from a Jewish organization warning of Christmas jealousy. Well, Christmas is everywhere, from every aisle in every supermarket to the playlists of every radio station, and everything in between. Could it be that the organization that sent me that e-mail is concerned that every Jew will spend the entire month staring longingly through the neighbors' windows at their glittering Christmas trees? Christmas jealousy? That's a new one for me. Do not make me laugh. Chris...

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“Emotianally colorblind” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #177

 The friendly front desk lady stood at the door, holding out a giant candy cane to me, almost invitingly. -"I don´t think I like the sight of that." I sighed. She looked at me with puppy eyes and slowly came closer. -"Doctor Harker requires a favor." Molly beings. -"Let me guess." I interrupt her. "a last-minute patient?" She nods silently. -"I have a plane to catch Molly." I say with a sense of urgency. I can see that Molly sympathized with me but was unable to conjure up the words to express it. -"I can give you another free meal vouc...

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“Mirror, mirror” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #176

-"Once upon a time..." -"Let me stop you right there mom!" my daughter replies. -"Why?" I act surprised. "You used to love stories, especially in December." -"Yeah, yeah: the bleak midwinter is the season for storytelling." she sighs. -"That's the spirit" I happily exclaim. -"You are a storytelling animal, mom." she jokes, "But please don't start with once upon a time, I hate stories that start with once upon a time." -"Okay, no problem. You have your way." I come to a compromise, "If you can bring yourself to put down that eternal iPhone." ...

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“A tale of a cat and an inkwell” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #175

Philip whistled across the street. He felt good. Life was good! Mr. Brown: Philip's boss, was not an easy man to please, but he had just given him a raise. was pleased with him, and he had just received a raise.  Philip had lost his father the year before, and apart from the house he had lived in, he had left nothing. He had not worked much before his death, and the family's finances were meager. After the funeral, Philip had to go straight to work to support himself and his mother. With that, he had to give up his dream of going to col...

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“Raquel's evolution” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #174

Regret is a rare luxury… One day a year she allowed herself to be sad for a few hours. A few hours where she surrendered with reckless abandon to the feeling of abandonment and melancholy. One day a year; her birthday! On the other side of the street, the grass lay like a veil. There was only silence. All sound seemed muffled in the softness of spring. This was only an imaginary silence, for the laughter of a child at play floated through it. The sky shone so divinely bright above the grey outline of the city. Something seemed trapped in tha...

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“Daisy and Rose” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #173

What is the most precious gift anyone can ever give or receive for Christmas, or any other occasion for that matter? Well, sit down, make yourself comfortable and I will tell you. The moon paused to peer through an uncurtained window into a small room with nothing but a bed, two chairs, and a large chest.  Two heads in floppy hats lay on a pillow, and two pairs of bright blue eyes stared at the sparkling stars. -"I'm so glad we got our shirts done on time." said a tired little voice. -"Yes, and the kids will be happy with our tree. Th...

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“Fading in to nothing” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #172

-"My mother has been fighting, or rather, against dementia for two years." she sighs. "I don't know what to say to her when I'm on the phone." She briefly rubs her fingers on her cell phone lying next to her on the couch, as if asking her mother's forgiveness for talking about her with me." "How about hello? That is always a good start?" I suggest. In response, she raises her eyebrows in boredom. -"Or I love you..." This time she squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head vehemently. -"She is talking more and more about her parents." she tri...

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“Wanderlust” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #171

The day was settling down in a blaze of golden light, the color of the grass and the foliage were so brilliant, but Henry wasn´t able to drink in its beauty.  He had been plagued by an uneasiness deep in his chest all day;  a kind of vague foreboding. When his son drove into the yard of the farm, he knew for sure: something was wrong. He heard Teddy's car stall in the garage. A silence fell, that seemed to last an eternity. Henry pulled Fluffy closer to him and stroked him behind the ears. -"What is that boy doing over there?" he s...

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“Robert's story” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #170

-"By their very nature," Robert muses to himself, "cities are haunted places." He sits nodding his head as if he needs to confirm this definition for himself. -"A million lives, a million stories built up in layers in history." he adds after a short pause. -"You are in a very philosophical mood today, Robert." I say. -"Artists and dreamers, vagabonds, queers and mystics..." -"Criminals." I interrupt him. He lets out a weary sigh. -"Sounds like you´re describing a cabinet of curiosities." I add. "I noticed you were getting restless these last...

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“Shadow in the window.” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #169

The first time Henry had felt the shadow, he experienced an eerie sense of dread, but he knew that fear before he ever saw the shadow. The strange oppression he felt, he easily interpreted as the vibration of an unfamiliar environment. Slowly, that sense of oppression gave way to a feeling that forced him out of himself.  Wait a second, dear reader. I am getting ahead of my story here: forgive me! Allow me to start again: from the beginning this time: Henry lived with his wife Elisabeth in a small house on Cherry blossom Road. There was...

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