M B

“The Horsemen ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #271

“Have we met before, sir?” Marsha asked the man sitting at the far side of the counter. Marsha was tending the counter of the general store, and felt a twinge of recognition when she looked at him. He was different to say the least. Marsha had the distinct impression that he was a sailor: Beneath his tricorn, his brown hair was tied back in a manner popular with seafarers, his skin tanned and weathered. He seemed to be still quite young but his blue eyes held an aged weariness. He wore a greatcoat, which would open on occasion, and Marsha’s ...

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“Slipping through her fingers ” by M B

Danny grumbled as he held the digital camera in his hands. The old-school photographer and journalism major flipped it over and over in his hands like a jellyfish. “Amber, I’m still not used to this thing. I really don’t know how this is the future of photography.”  The meerkat merely shook her head in response as they stepped out onto the well-maintained lawn of the ‘Historic Varunkirk Mansion’: home of the Varunkirk Historical society. The manor itself loomed before them as other tourists were lining up for the guided tour.  “Alm...

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“The Treasure of the Mille-Louise ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #267

Ben held the model ship close to his chest as he made his way through his grandfather’s home. To him it was magical, full of things he recognized the importance of mixed in with things that seemed outlandish and exotic: Paintings of old starships, alien masks on the walls, trinkets from worlds lightyears away... It was, in actuality, a modestly sized home, but the retired merchant spaceman had used the space well. Ben made his way to the bedroom his grandfather slept in. He knew the old man was awake from the light under and around the door....

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“Scent of a Rose” by M B

Submitted to Contest #265

I knew this was a bad idea. Meeting mysterious people in mysterious places in the dead hours of the night was how chumps like me got murdered.  I’d seen the aftermath of such ill conceived rendezvous first hand back when I worked homicide on the force. I’d never been to Baltimore before in my life, but one thing I could say for certain was it wasn’t my New York. Here I was: a nobody, a stranger in unfamiliar territory. I had no contacts, I didn’t know any ‘hidden gems,’ or the secrets only locals knew.  I was back to square one.&nb...

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“Blind and Hungry ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #262

This was supposed to be my summer vacation.  I was on leave god damnit!  It was a small little island in the Carribean. Never heard of the country before, but the brochures were pretty enticing so I took a chance and went. Now there I was: hiding in a cave along the shore with a cracked rib. I could hear the sound of my pursuer’s massive body pounding down the beach outside - It sounded like thunder. He was looking for me, and I knew when he found me, that was the end. It was one thing after the other.  Guess I should start th...

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“Up, Down, All Around ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #259

Grisha’s alchemy shop was bustling with activity, and not just from the various beasts that walked in to buy ingredients or seek aid from the blind hyena shaman and her apprentices: An odd group had currently taken up residence in the backrooms of her shop.  The most noticeable one - a large reptiloid with dark scales, long horns and piercing yellow eyes - sat upon a cushion too small for his frame. His arms were folded as he spoke to a female meerkat who was transcribing everything he said to her leatherbound notebook. “So you and this...

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“Tears in Space” by M B

Submitted to Contest #257

The alarms were blaring as the ship drew closer to the wormhole. Systems were failing and the vessel shuddered like it was having a seizure. Theodore Sphinx was floating in the chaos along with various other objects that had either broken loose or were never secured before the gravity drive failed.  Using a crate to propel himself to the other side of the wall, he moved like the experienced spaceman he was: He hadn’t made it so far up the ranks of the patrol just for looking good in uniform.  How had this all gone wrong, The blonde...

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“On Thin Ice” by M B

Submitted to Contest #256

The roar of the crowd filled the arena as the teams took to the ice. Amber adjusted her press badge and settled into her seat high up in the stands. The meerkat wasn't there to enjoy the game: Amber had never been one for sports, especially hockey. No, she had a job to do. The tip had come in anonymously: a cryptic message hinting at a major scandal that was set to unfold during the championship match. Amber scanned the crowd, her keen eyes taking in every detail, looking for anything out of the ordinary. "Keep your eyes open, Amber," she mu...

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“A Crow's Caw” by M B

Submitted to Contest #253

“May the ravens caw your name at twilight,” a man in regal clothes and crown said to the rather tall personage in a dear skull - mask? Face? As the regal man said this, the butterfly wings on his back fluttered. Yvette blinked. She had the feeling that she was having a wonderful time at the party. It was a nice spring day and everyone there - except deer skull - was dressed in finery, all of their wings gently fluttering in the breeze. Yvette laughed, trying to blend in as she was approached by deer skull. “Are you having a good time, young ...

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“Dangerous and Beautiful ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #249

She was the very image of grace and beauty: her slender body writhing like a serpent’s to the flutes and drums. The mink’s short, lowcut dress was a bright red that contrasted with the mink’s white fur. The bar of the tavern was full of all manner of creatures, all of whom were inebriated in some way. Some were drunk on Veilwinter wines and ales, others lay in a stupor from smoking much stronger stuff: their minds beyond the mortal realms.  For those that weren’t too far gone, their eyes were fixed on the mink as she twirled and gyrated...

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“On the Trail” by M B

Submitted to Contest #246

Normalton Middle School’s playground sat silent save for the slight metallic creak of the playground equipment as the breeze blew through. A far cry from the usual cacophony of children screaming and laughing in play. The sun had long set, and the moon now kept watch in the sky. The entire playground was a picture of serenity as it waited for the light of day and the return of the many children who would fill the yard with their voices and imaginations. But for now, only two teenage girls stood upon the grounds of the playground as they caug...

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“A Message” by M B

Submitted to Contest #244

Kairi grunted as she pulled on her boot, her blue face scrunched up in concentration. Now, finally dressed for duty, the young empathic female felt a sense of readiness. Opting for the dress uniform, rather than the Patrol jumpsuit, seemed suitable for bridge duty — a task primarily involving data reading and system monitoring. Or so she hoped.  If her career in the Patrol had taught her anything, it was the unpredictable nature of their work; situations could escalate from mundane to critical in moments. Glancing at the chronometer in ...

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“Cursed Claws” by M B

Submitted to Contest #243

I dedicate the following entry to whomever may find this - whether I live for another hundred years or if the lynx I’m hunting kills me in the next few weeks. My name is Skreet Snickertooth. I’m two things if I’m anything: a brown rat and a detective on a losing streak. Every now and then when a case - or even just life itself - gets a little too crazy, I like to take a moment and mull things over. I find it usually helps me center myself and sometimes I find myself catching things I missed at first. I was definitely up to my rodent muzzle t...

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“Numbers at Night ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #238

I was a ham radio enthusiast back in the early two thousands. This was in Varunkirk, North Carolina - along the coast.  I thought I had it made back then: I had a job as a manager at a grocery store and I’d found a rental house that was pretty cheap. It was an older house and small, but for someone who had just moved out of his parents’ place it was a palace.   I’d always had an interest in radios so as soon as I scrounged up enough money I bought myself a radio set and a license. Long into the evening after my shift I wou...

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“The Underdistrict ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #235

The rain was falling in sheets as four very different individuals stood outside the temple and a fifth pressed her snout to the bars of the interior:  There was a large male reptiloid shouldering a large sword, a male rat in a coat, a female ferret wrapped in a cloak, and an otter priestess. The one within - a female meerkat - stared at the four quizzically. Standing some feet away in a semicircle was a mob of various beasts wearing masks and cloaks, staring and waiting for the smaller group to make a move. “Enough of this prattle,”...

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