Jethro Pili

“The Illusion of Control” by Jethro Pili

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains scenes of war, injury, blood, and nearly certain death. The sun was a blazing furnace, hanging high over the desolate streets of Fallujah. Dust coated every surface, and the air shimmered with heat. Peter, Matt, Chris, Gus, and John, five best friends and members of the same platoon, moved cautiously through the narrow alleyways, their senses on high alert. It was supposed to be a routine patrol, but in a place like this, routine was a fickle concept. "We’re almost through," Peter said, his voice ...

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“Death Comes In Threes” by Jethro Pili

TRIGGER WARNING: This story is about three deaths. There is a mention of gang violence, a heart attack, and a car bomb.The office of Seabrook Viking News had always been a bustling hub of activity, but today, it was eerily quiet. Sam Ihle and his wife, Jodie Williams-Ihle, had just returned from their 2 1/2-week honeymoon, their radiant smiles a stark contrast to the somber mood that had settled over the newsroom. The first death at Viking News came as a shock to everyone.Julio Vasquez, a crime reporter known for his daring investigations, h...

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“The Lois To His Clark” by Jethro Pili

The bustling newsroom was a symphony of clacking keyboards and ringing phones, a cacophony that Sam Ihle had long since learned to tune out. His eyes, shielded by wire-rimmed glasses, were fixed on the computer screen before him, fingers flying across the keys as he typed furiously. A loud thud jolted him from his trance, and he looked up to see Jodie Williams sauntering into the room, a stack of files tucked under her arm. She moved with an effortless grace, her every step oozing the poise and sophistication of a bygone era. Even in th...

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“Old Betsy” by Jethro Pili

The Maine October storm had been raging outside the lighthouse all afternoon. Captain Jacob Turner stood at the window of the lantern room, gripping the window frame tightly as powerful gusts buffeted the glass. Through the sheets of sideways rain, all he could see was an endless gray void. Down below, his 12-year-old twins Jules and Julie huddled nervously by the fireplace in their living quarters. “I don't like storms, Uncle Martin,” Julie said quietly. “They sound scary here at the lighthouse.” Their friend and father's former f...

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“Pan's Grotto” by Jethro Pili

And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.Matthew 16:18 (King James Version)Audio Journal Entry, Day 45June 06, 20269 AMDeir ez-Zor GovernorateSyria-Iraq BorderThe Gate OpensI was an atheist. I used to be. How could I not be? I found the concept of God, angels, demons, and the Devil to be totally ludicrous. They were the ravings of madmen. I equated Jesus with the likes of the Tooth Fairy, Mr. Sandman, or Bigfoot. To me, they were figments of people’s...

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“And Now, For My Last Act, I Will Disappear” by Jethro Pili

Submitted to Contest #182

The sun rose early on the very first day of summer break and so did Dorian Peters. He freshened up, ate breakfast with his siblings and parents, brushed his teeth after the meal, and went straight to doing his chores. He was an obedient kid but he had an aversion to cleaning up. That’s why it was a surprise to his family to find him doing his chores with zeal and a tune on his lips. He was doing a better job at cleaning than his siblings. And whistling.“What’s with him?” Mr. Peters asked his wife.“He’s just excited,” Mrs. Peters answered. “L...

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“The Christmas Feast” by Jethro Pili

Beep! Beepbeep! Beepbeepbeep! Beepbeepbeepbeep! Beepbeep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beepbeepbeepbeep! My alarm went off incessantly at ten minutes to midnight, increasing in both volume and frequency. I groaned and turned over to reach for my irritating phone so that I could throw it across the room (but I didn’t, no matter how tempted I was).Our family has a very unusual Christmas tradition called the Christmas feast. While some families opened their gifts on Christmas morning and have Christmas dinner in the evening (some have Ch...

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“Pitching In” by Jethro Pili

Donnie, Herb, and Alexander spent the entire day moving their stuff into their new apartment and sprucing up the place. They started with their own rooms and decorated it according to their individual tastes. Donnie decorated his room in rich purple and deep greens. He hung faux vines all along the top and sides of his mahogany four poster bed. He made sure to create a tranquil oasis amidst the noise and chaos of the bustling city.Herb’s décor choice showcased his love of traveling. Above his platform bed was a giant world map with red, whit...

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“Operation: Stupid Cupid” by Jethro Pili

“I’ve got a plan,” Kayla said to her best friend Nathaniel as they sat on the sofa of his living room, about to watch a buddy cop comedy on a Friday night. Nate’s dad was in the bathroom, performing some emergency business before they could start watching the movie.“Oh, no,” Nate said with a sigh, running his hands over his face and through his hair. “Please don’t tell me this is another one of your harebrained schemes.”“Oh, come on!” Kayla said. “Look me straight in the eye and tell me you didn’t see the sparks between my mom and your dad. ...

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“My Huckleberry Friend, Moon River And Me” by Jethro Pili

I hummed Moon River to myself as I put up the last of the Halloween decorations in the store. There was an empty corner that had been left untouched. We couldn’t decide what to put. Luckily, we had some leftover fake cobwebs. Perfect. Down below, I heard Chris calling out to me. Chris was my boss and the owner of Little Town Bookstore & Café (which he named as a tribute to Belle, the most endearing bookworm of all time).“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jodi!” Chris shouted. “You gonna lock up?”“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” I called back from atop...

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“One Last Ride” by Jethro Pili

Heath Becker was very well-established in Rattlesnake Canyon, Texas. He owned a large mining operation with hundreds upon hundreds of miners and also owned a ranch with dozens of ranch hands, seven thousand sheep, five thousand goats, a thousand heads of cattle, one thousand five hundred llamas, one thousand five-hundred alpacas, five hundred donkeys, five hundred mules, and five hundred horses. His son Heath Jr. was set to be married to the mayor’s daughter, and his daughter Lucy was engaged to the son of a wealthy feeds magnate. His oldest...

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“Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa” by Jethro Pili

Author's Notes: Content/trigger warning. There is an accident scene in this story.The heart monitor beside Mike Castle’s hospital bed beeped steadily, letting doctors, nurses, and visitors know that he was at least alive and in stable condition. He was breathing with the help of a respirator. Peter Palmer sat down in a chair beside Mike’s bed and ran his hand over his face and unkempt hair with a heavy sigh. The past few days had been stressing him out and it felt like he had the physical weight of the world on his shoulders.“This is all my ...

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“Fall Guy” by Jethro Pili

Content Warning/Trigger Warning: Contains mentions of drugs, alcohol, thoughts of suicide and self-harm, and there are scenes involving physical abuse.It was just the middle of the play and I already wanted out. I usually enjoy watching our yearly Christmas school productions, but that day, I had a pounding headache and I couldn’t stand it. I had to get out of there. I got up from my seat and asked to be let through, apologizing to the people sitting next to me. I silently crept through the side aisle in that dark auditorium and as soon as I...

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“Back To Maple Cove” by Jethro Pili

CONTENT WARNING/TRIGGER WARNING: There is a mention of an accident towards the end of this story. It had been years since I’d seen my home. After four years of university and two years earning a Master’s degree, I applied for a Doctorate in Oxford. After I had completed my Doctorate of Letters, I began teaching at the same college. I taught literature classes there like my hero, J.R.R. Tolkien. I also lectured on his life and works, including his letters to friends and family. Unfortunately, I had to leave my post as Literature professor a...

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“Friends In Unlikely Places” by Jethro Pili

Journalism was a cutthroat business. You had to be the first to get the scoop. People rarely do shared bylines. More often than not, the philosophy is “My story, my byline. Get your own damn scoop.” Everyone knew that, but Darcy “Scoop” Reese and Yvonne Jennings all the more so. They were among the Morning Telegraph’s best reporters and also the bitterest of rivals, always vying for the top spot as Reporter of the Year. Yvonne was a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense go-getter, and she was annoying. A lot of people hated her for that. Darcy hated h...

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