MJ Hancher

“Orion” by MJ Hancher

The sky was always so dark here. I could count almost every star, every night. Though I didn’t quite have the time or patience to do so. I would look up as I walked to my car and usually I could see one of the dippers. I’d admire it briefly then move on. But that day I was reluctant to look upon them. It was like when they tell you to wish upon a star and your dreams will come true. But why was it that my dreams were being crushed? My feet felt like they were attached to concrete blocks as I exited his house. The front door didn’t close imm...

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“The Beast” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #78

The inside of the house is quiet except the constant tick tock of the grandfather clock in the main hallway. It is quite the nuisance, I only kept it at the request of my late mother. It has been in our family for quite some time and it’s the only thing she left behind when she died. It was the only worldly possession that mattered to her. I would always rue the day it was rolled into my house. Was it because of the relentless reminder of time or was it the memory of my mother that I hated to think about? I paced the halls of the mansion, a...

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“Reflection” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #77

The landscape has been transformed overnight. A storm came in like a furious woman and covered everything with several feet of snow. It’s times like these that I am glad I work from home. Jack was smart enough to stock up on groceries yesterday. Both the cars are parked in the garage so no scraping off ice when the time finally does come to leave our humble abode. I hold my cup of coffee closer as the hot streams hit my nostrils. I can’t keep from sighing as I glance at the pot, still half full and taunting me. I know I’ll want a second cup ...

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“Choice” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #49

The station is cold, damp. Moss is growing from cracks in the ceiling. It’s strange that it’s so empty but I can’t be bothered with that. I run my hands up and down my arms as I pace along the tracks. It feels like I have been here forever, just waiting for a train that never comes. I can’t even recall my destination, or how I got here. But I know I have to stay. I decide to finally take a seat and plop onto the bench with a thud. I allow my hands to hold my face, my hair falling in front of my eyes to create a shield. Words kept echoing thr...

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“Average” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #46

I was never much of a talker. I was never much of a people person. Sometimes I loved to smile, sometimes I was afraid to. I preferred to be in the background, never draw too much attention. I just wanted to write a story, a script for a narrative in people’s heads. Yet here I was, standing in front of a mob of flashes and voices, eyes following my every move. I shifted the novel that I held and tried my best not to crack under the pressure. I should be grateful. How many people got the privilege of getting their story published by a major co...

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“The Beginning of the End” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #42

He sent me away.  I really wanted to bash my head into the steering wheel as I drove down the empty highway. The desert never really suited me. I had to return to Florida with my tail tucked between my legs. But I had nowhere else to go. I wasn’t going to draw things out by forcing him to continue living with me. Phoenix was truly his, and I had only wished for it to be our’s. The look in his eyes before he turned for the door had shattered something deep inside my soul. I had packed up everything of mine I could find and stuffed it bac...

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“Fault and Reason” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #40

The birds were still singing. It signified that indeed the world hadn’t come to an end. Just my world. Again. But I knew from many times before it was only temporary. Time heals all wounds. For me, it healed most but left some. Time also couldn’t paint over the scars. They were glaringly obvious and hard for me to ignore. They molded my future self, and my future kept changing like a rabid tornado that couldn’t decide which town to destroy next. Spring was coming to an end. The year was racing past before my very eyes.. Why couldn’t time mov...

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“Dream If You Must” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #39

The air was thick though the sky was clear, stars twinkling through the haze. The bonfire we had going was strong and vibrant, occasionally spitting sparks out as if daring us to sit too close. The state had already delved into spring but although it was warm, I still felt a bit chilly. I was wrapped tight in my checkered blanket. Laughter surrounded me as my roommates reveled in stories of days past. I had settled in with a beer, hoping it would help relax me. The chair next to me still sat empty as he fiddled about inside. Part of me was h...

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“Show Me Your Teeth” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #37

One step in the front of the other, don’t look back, don’t worry about the surrounding darkness. Don’t be afraid of the sounds in the dark, it’s just the resident creatures living their lives.The leaves crunch under my feet as I try my best to stay in a straight line, trying to stay focused on the distant glow that signals the clearing where we are supposed to meet. Ryan caught me at school after the first bell, a wicked glint in his eyes. “You’re still coming down to the woods right?” he asked, holding my hand and running his thumb in circl...

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“Lachlan” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #37

I The coffee shop is crowded. Professionals in suits having meetings cause apparently an office isn’t good enough. Young adults gathered around with their friends, gossiping and flirting. The atmosphere is buzzing, per usual. I managed to snag my favorite spot by the window, it’s relaxing to watch the palm trees blowing gently in the breeze. Sometimes I will venture onto the patio to enjoy the Florida weather, but it makes me want to close my eyes and take a nap. But I need to focus, I have work to do. The door chimes over and over again as ...

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“Run” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #35

I never thought I would find myself still in this state, a desolate place where all my worst nightmares had come true. They had consumed me for the past five years. Yet here I still was. Patapsco State Park was the closest and most familiar escape from reality that I had. I had always been interested in environmental junk, but allergies to various different types of trees had kept me from actually doing much in the outside world.  But today I had laced up my tennis shoes, put on my yoga pants, and ventured out. The world was starting to...

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