Morgan Hall

“Islands of Trespass” by Morgan Hall

23rd of October 1821 Though it is hard to reconcile with the fact that this day marks two years past since I first arrived on the verdant island of Hawai’i, I must admit much has transpired in those two short years. My wife, Isabel, is gone. Not dead, though somedays I wish it was so. She left me for a native man who by her words “was not so sensitive that the skin of a mango would cause abhorrent rashes” and “not so susceptible to fright that a dobsonfly misfortunately swallowed in the morning’s coffee would elicit untoward frenzy” and “mos...

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“Candy's Sweet” by Morgan Hall

Marty hung on to the bar with both hands like he was on the deck of a boat in the middle of a raging storm. Too drunk to sit down, too drunk to stand, he pinballed between the barstool and the edge of the bar while waiting for someone to offer him another drink.        It had been an unusually lucky day for Marty. Out of sheer frustration with life, himself, and especially gambling, he’d gone to the racetrack and picked a horse based on the name that he hated the most, Candy’s Sweet. He then put the la...

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“No One Knows the Color of the Moon” by Morgan Hall

      While Mom and Dad were busy surveying the scene with upturned noses, the shuttle bus driver extended his hand out to Lucy and helped her exit the rumbling van. Lucy thought her pale hand next to his warm skin looked like a glob of sunscreen waiting to be rubbed in.           “Gracias,” she whispered, nervous that she wasn’t pronouncing it right. She wasn’t, but it was close enough for an 11-year-old who had never been to a Spanish-speaking country befo...

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“Paparazzi” by Morgan Hall

The metal rings on Tony’s right hand clack together as he pushes his greasy blonde hair off his forehead. His left hand, also covered in rings, holds his cell phone to his ear while Miriam chews him out.“If you’re right, that’s two weeks she’s been in there. That’s one helluva binge.” Miriam had disapproved of Tony’s choice to stake out this building from the beginning. She didn’t trust Tony’s sources. Not that Tony trusted them either, most of them were junkies or about to be junkies. The rest were DJs, varying in popularity, but rich in ac...

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“Los Alamos” by Morgan Hall

The Emergency Alert System begins its jarring ping and dial tone song as a lone white pickup truck fights against high winds wanting to push it off the two lane New Mexican highway.“This is the Emergency Alert System. This is not a test. Repeat, this is not a test. A national authority has issued the following emergency statement: Due to developing weather patterns combined with the man-made disaster at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, an extreme weather event has formed. Previous mandatory emergency evacuation orders were issued this mor...

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“Stolen Artifacts” by Morgan Hall

“You’re seriously still in bed?”Omar didn’t hear his son come in, but pride outweighs his embarrassment, so he owns up to it.“Dammit Lawrence, I’m retired. I can do whatever the hell I want. ‘Bout to get up anyway.”“It’s noon, dad. Retired or not, it’s not a good look.” Lawrence, tall like his dad, bends down to pick up a mostly empty take-out container. He spots a few more in the overflowing trash bin of Omar’s dreary studio apartment. “I guess you like the Thai place I turned you on to.”“The curry is okay, but they charge extra for rice. S...

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“Beware Of Jessica G.” by Morgan Hall

     “Finally,” Abby muttered as she unfurled her beach towel for nap time. The first day of kindergarten had already been so demanding and she had only just hit the halfway mark. So far the day was spent revealing all the things Abby didn’t know; the months in the year, her mom and dad’s first names, her home phone number. She had stared at one blank line on her worksheet for what felt like hours. The question…what is your favorite color? Her head was spinning, she was so ready for a nap.    &nbs...

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“No Different Than The Other Animals” by Morgan Hall

Dirty fingers ripped the worn fabric in two. The stitches were barely holding the stained linen shirt together anyway. It was the last piece of the world that he had left. Everything else was broken or eaten or at the bottom of the ocean.Those same dirty fingers, bruised and bloody at the knuckles, gripped the large rock he had been using for weeks. He had expected his grip to get better, his arms to get stronger, but without food and restful nights, of course this wasn’t going to happen. He smashed the large rock against the trunk of a fal...

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“Black Friday at the Megamall” by Morgan Hall

Submitted to Contest #239

Trisha Hartley was supposed to meet her husband, Don, by the South entrance to Books 'n' Things inside the newly opened nine-story mega mall at 12:15 PM on Friday November 24th, 1989. It was Black Friday. Trisha was running late.
    The 200,000 square foot Books 'n' Things, along with the rest of the massive retail center in which it resided, was having its fifth day of an aggressively advertised soft opening week for the public and nobody had properly prepared for the enthusiastic turn out. Security staff was stretched dange...

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