Mark Gagnon
Bio
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
Achievements (1)
Stories (464)
Filter by community
The Write Stuff
Signs began appearing on abandoned K-Mart stores and other large empty buildings around the country. The Write Stuff, a play on words to be sure, was the name of a new company designed specifically for the aspiring writer. For a cost similar to a gym membership, the budding author would have access to resources unlike anything their predecessors could have dreamed of. The large buildings were divided into categories: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Horror, Fantasy, Historical and Non-Fiction. Like-minded new authors would meet in their specific room’s conference area to exchange ideas. Writers could change from genre to genre as their stories or interests developed. The rooms were further divided into private cubicles where authors could create in complete quiet, but have access to tutors and reference materials as needed. All works were saved by the company server and published in the author’s name for the public to read, review and critique.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
In My Sights
It was an unusually warm September evening. Sweat slowly trickled from Zack’s hairline over the ridges of his wrinkled brow, through his bushy eyebrows, ending its journey directly in the marksman’s eyes. The salty perspiration stung, blurring his vision. It was a distraction, but so were the lights, the loud music, and the jostling crowd. Distractions were something to be tuned out, and there was no one better at doing that than Zack.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Psyche
New Beginnings for Old Things
I had to chuckle to myself when I read the sign over the weathered door: New Beginnings for Old Things. This old thing was long past starting anything anew. An old chair can be reupholstered, a scratched table refinished, but nothing can restore an old man. Sure, people know how to replace worn-out parts. Knees, hips, even hearts are replaceable, but no matter how many new components you have, you’re still old. Okay, maybe I’m being overly cynical as old people often are. The sign had aroused my curiosity, so I went inside.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Longevity
The Truth and Nothing But
It happened during a two-day period. The Earth seemed to be stuck in the comet’s tail as they cruised through space together. On day three, the unnamed and unexpected comet went on its merry way, leaving a thin coating of dust embedded on every surface of the planet and a drastically transformed human population. Some called the change a blessing from God, others described it as a curse from the devil himself. Whatever it was, people needed to learn to adjust to a new reality.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Confessions
Cause of Death
It’s a given that everything, be it mountains, oceans, rivers, plants, animals, and people die. No matter what it is, at some point, it will cease to exist. If birth and death are the only constants, why are we so interested in what caused a particular death? Why people seem to be fascinated with the cause of death rather than simply accepting the fact that he or she died, is a mystery. Morgan couldn’t answer that question, but he was glad people had such morbid curiosity.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
House of Mirrors
The mirror showed a reflection that wasn’t my own. That didn’t surprise me because I maintain this Fun House. The mirrors in here were designed to distort people’s images and create confusion as the patrons moved along a dimly lit path. People laughed at their elongated or squatty reflections. They teased their friends about how big or small they looked in a particular mirror. It was all done for a laugh, at least that is what I thought.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Horror
No Problem!
It’s been a grueling winter and I must admit I haven’t given my car the tender loving care it deserves. I probably hit every pothole from my house to work and back five days a week. Now my steering pulls to the right and the front end shimmies at highway speed. Just to make things more interesting, the check engine light went from occasionally blinking yellow to a steady red. It is time to pay my neighborhood mechanic a visit.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Wheel
Road Warrior
A man with a limp stopped on the shoulder of the seemingly endless road to rest for a short time. There was no reason, other than habit, for him to rest at the shoulder instead of the middle of the road since he had learned long ago that he was its only traveler. Other roads existed; some ran parallel with the road he traveled, others occasionally intersected it, but most went in a totally opposite direction. The only similarity that all the roads had was each one took its solo traveler to wherever their eventual destination might be.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Journal
Fire
I never thought it was possible to feel this cold and not be dead. People were told they had options when the planet’s surface began to die. Just be more conscientious about what you consume, stop producing greenhouse gasses, be eco-friendly and the planet will repair itself. Sure, the ice caps will melt and the average air temperature will rise a few degrees, but that’s okay, the planet will become one big tropical paradise.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Futurism
