Jim Cowles

“The Invitation” by Jim Cowles

Submitted to Contest #204

THE INVITATION     He had ridden this trail many times, but he couldn't remember the name of the little town the cowboy had told him was near here.     It must be another one of those damn gold rush towns," he thought. “They have cropped up all over creation since 1850. Calefornee is full of ‘em, and I bet this here one is jest another one that’ll probably go ‘bout as quick as it come.     This damn road ain’t much more than a rut for the last ten miles er so. It’s mostly a d...

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“Harry's remorse” by Jim Cowles

HARRY'S REMORSE Snow flurries were flying, the temperature was rapidly dropping and Christmas Eve had finally come to the little Kentucky township of Lyndon. Harry had just turned sixteen this past summer and was thinking about girls, and cars, and not much else. Those who knew him, knew it was always, "What's in it for me," with Harry, but now, as Christmas approached, he had become even more self-centered.  Yes, as usual, Harry was thinking more about what he might get for Christmas, than what he might give. Har...

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“"I double dog dare ya"” by Jim Cowles

"What's wrong with my shirt, dummy?" "Just look at you, man. Let's get some other opinions. Hey guys, look at him, will ya? His mommy pegged his shirt for him, and Jimmy's trying to show off his muscles. I betcha you don't even weigh seventy-five pounds; where is your muscle, anyway, Jimmy, you runt? Go on, flex it for us, tough guy. Come on, let's see it!" Two young men, twelve years of age, are in Mr. Strong's Homeroom class, and Mr. Strong has stepped out for a minute. He does that every day at this time, and the whole class snickers ...

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“The Long Trip” by Jim Cowles

Submitted to Contest #147

The Long Trip        He said there was no training necessary, and, that most of those who wanted to go were older, and not necessarily in good physical condition. I must tell you; I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I could see I really needed to give this a lot more thought, so I thanked him and hung up.        Oh, as one will often do, I forgot about it for a few weeks, then I ran into my friend, Dan and it suddenly hit me. It was likely because I had thought ...

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“The Experiment” by Jim Cowles

Submitted to Contest #135

The Experiment 2,284 words “John steps out of his comfort zone” I don’t remember when it first hit me, or why (?). I’m no different than anyone in the lab, so I wonder if any of the others have given it much thought. We’ve worked on this project for three years, but we really don’t know each other, or maybe I should say, I don’t know any of the others, not even one.  Three years down and the days have flown by, but I wonder if we’re any closer to our goal than when we first started? But, how could we know? Do we each have a se...

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“Harry's remorse” by Jim Cowles

Submitted to Contest #126

HARRY'S REMORSEJames L. CowlesSnow flurries were flying and the temperature was rapidly dropping. Christmas eve had finally come to the little Kentucky township of Lyndon. Harry Tindal had just turned sixteen the past summer and was thinking about girls and cars and not much else. Those who knew him well, knew he was always thinking, "What's in it for me?" but now, as Christmas approached, he had become even more self-centered. Yes, as usual, Harry was thinking more about what he might get for Christmas than what he might give...

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“Lost and found” by Jim Cowles

Submitted to Contest #119

LOST AND FOUND  Jim Cowles - October 2021 2,500 words      Listen! What was that! It sounded like someone trying to get in my window, but I don't see a soul outside. It sure makes me wonder if someone came in that way to steal it, then got scared I'd catch them. I tell you what, now that I've found it, I've got to know who did it. I mean,.maybe it was there all the time, I guess, huh (?), but if it was, how could I miss it? I must have walked passed it a thousand times, so if it was there, I just missed it? Ha! ...

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