Greg Gillis

“Envious” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #157

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! * The alarm on his phone sprang to life as he blindly reached across the bed to the nightstand to turn it off. It was Monday morning, and Jeff Black felt as if he skipped past the weekend altogether. Jeff laid his head back onto his pillow and wiped the crustiness from the corners of his eyes as he felt the soft touch of a hand against his chest. “Good morning,” the sleepy female voice said. “Good morning, Lori,” he replied. Jeff and his wife Lori had been happily married for nearly ten years, and had two beautiful...

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“Two Sides to a Story” by Greg Gillis

           Cassie Maitland, the thirty-two-year-old loving wife of Luke, started her day off preparing breakfast for her two twin boys, Lance and Logan. The house was filled with the distinct aroma of bacon and eggs, her boys favorite.            Luke was the last one to enter the kitchen, and to his dismay, the twins had already grabbed most of the bacon off the plate. He sneakily distracted Logan and snatched a crispy slice from hi...

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“Cause and Effect” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #152

           “Come in! Come in!” the middle-aged man called out as the young family entered the doors of “Miraculous Inception,” a company that offers miracles to those who qualify.            Hans Gruber, the salesman, asked them to have a seat upon a comfortable navy-colored sofa, while he took a seat in a matching chair opposite the family.            “What miracles can we perf...

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“The Do-Over” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #151

           At forty-nine years old, all that Keith had to show for himself, was his vast movie collection, and $422.53 in the bank. Nothing else in his possession was completely his. He was renting a one-bedroom apartment above a Chinese restaurant. The odors from the restaurant permeated the air of his apartment.            Keith cherished his VHS and DVD collection that he began to put together when he was a teenager. He still reca...

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“The Age of AI” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #150

           Since 1956, when scientist, Marvin Minksy pioneered the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI), skeptics have fought against it. Many felt that if a machine had the ability to think and learn, that one day, they would overpower the human race.            As the years progressed, so did the AI technology, and when nanotechnology was introduced in 1959 by American physicist, Richard Feynman, the ability to create a more lig...

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“Music Calms the Savage Beast” by Greg Gillis

           Wayne Meyers, a construction worker from the east side of town, was not much of a social butterfly. He had no friends except for his old college roommate, Glen, but even he didn’t associate with Wayne as much anymore.            Wayne is something of a hothead, and one night while out shooting some pool, Glen was on the receiving end of Wayne’s fits of rage. The night started off fine as the two men popped open a couple of...

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“Apartment 618” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #148

           For the last eighteen months, we have lived in the same two-bedroom apartment. We moved here when my wife and I found out we were having a baby, and that one-bedroom death trap we were in was not going to cut it.            The apartment building is in a decent area with several young families in the neighborhood, and all the amenities within a short drive when needed. What sold us on this place, however, was the view; it ...

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“A Hero's Life” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #147

           They were three weeks into filming the latest and greatest action movie, and the Director, Arthur Coolidge yells repeatedly into the darkened set for one of his actors who was late once again for his scene.            Beth, the 1st Assistant Director scrambles through the darkness asking everyone on-set if they had seen Walter anywhere. She knows that if she doesn’t get him onto the set soon, the axe will fall on her, not ...

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“The Broken Yolk” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #146

           Nelly led a difficult life. She was not one of the gorgeous women who caught the eye of every guy as she walked into the room, nor was she the most intelligent of her friends. You might say that she was an average girl with an average life.            Even as a child, and again through adolescence, Nelly was the person that nobody seemed to notice. She could wear a red dress and stand in the middle of a room filled with pe...

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“Super Guy” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #145

           It was 1975, and my six-year-old self had just finished watching a rerun of the original Superman series, starring George Reeves in the starring role.            I recall how I was fascinated at this man that could run faster than a locomotive and fly to the rescue of people that were in danger. I watched in amazement as bullets bounced off him like they were made of rubber. I decided at that moment that I wanted to be jus...

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“Picture of Love” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #144

           Cheryl Swanson is a photographer for all special occasions, but weddings are her favorite of all events to capture.            It was mid-July, and the sun was beating down upon the bridal party as they crossed Floral Gardens, a popular location for wedding photographs. Iris flowers bloomed in brilliant purple, blue, and yellow around a small waterfall that was situated in the background between two weeping willow trees. T...

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“Unlikely Companions” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #143

           It was another sweltering day in the African Savanna, as young Adisa strolled closely by his father’s side. Adisa’s father, Negus, was the leader of the pride, and ruler of all the Savanna. Adisa gazed up at his father’s magnificence as the wind blew through his thick mane. Adisa wanted to be just like him when he grew up.            The long grass was almost as tall as Adisa, so to see what was ahead, he needed to leap up...

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“Bookworms and Body Slams” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #142

           Slade McGrath, at 268 pounds was considered one of the most feared men in professional wrestling. His six-foot-eight-inch frame stood towering over everyone as he scanned the room for anything that seemed out of place.            Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Slade felt a tug on his shirt. As he spun around, he found himself staring down at a small boy with a book in his hands. The boy trembled with fear at the sight of t...

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“Critic's Choice” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #141

           It was 7:00 AM, and Justin rushed down the stairs of his one-bedroom flat in the city’s lower west side. The early edition of the local newspaper should have arrived at the newsstand around the corner, and he eagerly awaited to read something that would impact the rest of his day, and perhaps his career.            Justin had opened a bistro in the east end of town, right next to park. The setting was traditional with smal...

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“My Life Before Technology” by Greg Gillis

           I remember a time when life was much simpler. A time before technology took over as a substitute for family time.            Growing up as a young boy, my parents and my two older siblings made the best of the times we spent together. We had our arguments like any other family, but you could still feel the love. We looked forward to our summer vacations where we would travel to the east coast to visit with family, or the t...

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