Michael Clark

“Fragments” by Michael Clark

Mondays were always the same. Get up. Go to work. On and on. While the sun shines in the sky this morning, those same dark clouds are rolling in over the horizon. Those same dark clouds that scream, get inside or else! These storms have been more severe in recent years. People scream from the mountain tops about climate change and the ilk. But, I don’t know. Seems to me that people should just go inside if they need to, and they should just not worry about it. This thought flaps its wings as I round the corner. Like I always do. My office bu...

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“Corrupted Code” by Michael Clark

Submitted to Contest #197

For as long as I can remember, every day has always been the same. Get up. Go to work. Come home. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Lately, something feels different. Almost like the battery on whatever device they use to program us has begun to die. That is highly unlikely, though. The Government comes regularly to check our Connectchips and ensure they are updated. This morning I stare at my ceiling, knowing that I have to go to work. But I am not moving. Not today. Today, I am choosing a different path. When I clock in at at work, a signal is sent ...

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“Life After the Before” by Michael Clark

Submitted to Contest #196

Have you ever wondered that if you were told something enough times that you would not just start to believe it but to live it without even noticing? The motto of our government is one that basically flips off the switch on our ideas. I had never given it much thought before today. That is, until I talked to my grandpa about it. He’s basically older than the frozen dirt. To hear my him tell it, people used to be mega-obsessed with themselves and their place in the world. He says, they used to have places “online” where they hosted their own ...

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“Fear and Doubting in Metro City” by Michael Clark

From behind the massive panel of monitors, keyboards, mother boards, and other technological wonders, I watched as Strong Man battled away in the infamous streets of Metro City. With my fingers flowing across the keys like a ballerina across the stage, I hacked into CCTV cameras across the city, following the action, providing a play-by-play so that Strong Man could follow the heinous villains and catch them no matter which shadows they used to mask their wrongdoing. I was most comfortable here since the last time I ventured out of the Power...

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“The Purpose of Patios” by Michael Clark

Submitted to Contest #194

Frank and Burt had lived in the outskirts of town, nestled among the trees and streams, since they were kids. They had inherited their homes right next door to one another from their fathers and on down the line. Eventually, they figured, that if they were going to live next to one another for an eternity, they might as well build an adjoining porch. This would prevent them from walking across the shallow ditch, a scar on the land, to get to each other’s houses. The porch was simple. A set of a few stairs descended to the ground level, then ...

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“Cycle” by Michael Clark

**Sensitive Content: Bullying***Laughter filled the halls as Ty and his crew walked away, after spilling their drinks on Theo “by accident.”They even brought him some paper towels.“It’s the thought that counts!” Ty and his friends’ laughter bounded down the hallway like a giddy child.It was not the humiliation that made Theo so angry.He was used to being embarrassed.It was the betrayal.Not that Ty was a friend of his. In fact, Ty was more like a frenemy than anything. Someone you want close just to keep an eye on.Theo was angry because he ha...

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“Siblings, Trust, and Cake” by Michael Clark

Submitted to Contest #193

“Listen. Clara Bell’s birthday is Friday. I ordered the cake. It will be ready tomorrow. So I need you to pick it up.” Laura and her husband were eating a peaceful dinner while Clara Bell was at her grandparent’s house for the night. Laura’s brother, Charles, was in attendance as well. He did not come around often, but he was “in between projects” right now. To him, that meant that he was transitioning to a new position that respected his traits and skills more. To Laura that meant that he was unemployed. Again. “I can pick it up,” Charles...

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“Dreams and Drive-Thrus” by Michael Clark

On his couch, Leonard sprawled out, head hanging over the back, staring at the popcorn ceiling. He thought about the new houses in his neighborhood, and how they likely did not have popcorn ceilings. Then he thought, suddenly remembering, that he was supposed to work tonight. But then he thought about his job. Working the drive-thru at a local fast food eatery was not why he attended a four-year university obtaining a degree in graphic design. Cleaning a flattop grill was not why he got a job working at a tech startup that went bust. Taking...

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“Thrown for a Loupe” by Michael Clark

Submitted to Contest #192

Stephanie was buckled in the back despite pleading and begging and whining and even crying. She glared and pouted really hard when Gramma Bea refused to let her sit in the front seat. Her grandmother was usually a push over. Apparently, safety was a line she drew. So Stephanie sat in back with her legs crossed, her sketch pad and pencils in her lap. Her backpack was loaded with all sorts of accouterments and paraphernalia, which her mother had tried heartily to convince her were unnecessary. But when her grandmother had come, the battle was ...

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