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Mike Bozart
Book List in Order: 208 titles
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Gold, A Summer Story
- Aug-2013
- / General Fiction
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> from the inside flap: Mark and Susan’s marriage is on the rocks. Their east Charlotte home is entering foreclosure. The kitchen is being wallpapered with unpaid bills.When Mark finds a pair of record-setting gold nuggets while wandering around a ...
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To Morrow Tomorrow
- Sep-2014
- / General Fiction
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[[]] … from the e-novella's inside virtual flap …Two young dudes from east Charlotte, the author and his mythical best friend, a character named Frank, take a psychedelic half-hollow-day [sic] excursion to Morrow Mountain State Park, ju...
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Mysterieau of San Francisco
- Mar-2015
- / General Fiction
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[from the inside flap]The 27-year-old author arrives in San Francisco, California in March of 1992, seeking fame and fortune as a wall (visual) artist. He settles in at a small Tenderloin studio apartment on lower Hyde Street and elects to go about c...
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Gold, the short story
- Aug-2015
- / Literary
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This is the scheming, steamy, suspenseful, bizarre 3,000-word short story from July 2011 that preceded the 80,000-word novel Gold, a summer story (2013). Some of the characters, scenes, and plot in this quick-read beach tale were used in the later no...
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Psecret Psociety Pshort Pstories, vol. 1
- Apr-2016
- / Literary
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Four dozen mostly meta-real, sometimes semi-surreal, auspiciously autobiographical, and occasionally oddly ordinary short stories from 2010 through 2015 have been rounded up into one volume for your convenience. The average short story length is abou...
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Psecret Psociety Pshort Pstories, vol. 2
- Mar-2017
- / Literary
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[[||]] … from the [virtual] inside flap …All thirty-nine short stories from calendar year 2016 are gathered in this digital collection. Just like Psecret Psociety Pshort Pstories, Volume 1, these little tales run the gamut from the marginally met...
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The Waiter
- Dec-2017
- / Literary
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Agents 32 and 33 venture to a nearby Italian restaurant (in Charlotte, NC, USA) in search of another short story, and one lands right in their laps.Approx. 1300 words.If this largely autobiographical tale were an American movie, it would most likely ...
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The Waitress
- Dec-2017
- / Literary
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The author and a science lab facilitator have a more-interesting-than-ever-expected conversation with a waitress at a Mexican restaurant in Charlotte (NC, USA).Approx. 1600 words.If this autobiographical tale were an American movie, it would probably...
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Kron by Night
- Jun-2018
- / Literary
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In June of 1984, four future agents go to Morrow Mountain State Park to chart the terrain (real, imagined and hyper-perceived) while under the influence of a strange psychoactive substance.A 9,000-word tale. Another psecret psociety pshort pstory.Sex...
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Lost in Lost Cove
- Jun-2018
- / Literary
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Three 20-something friends (two males and a female) decide to go for a spring hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to check out some scenic waterfalls and get some 'clarity'. All is going just as planned until a dark creature is spotted...
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Psecret Psociety Pshort Pstories, vol. 3
- Jun-2018
- / General Fiction
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[from the inside virtual flap]All thirty-six short stories from calendar year 2017 are invisibly bound together in this digital document. Just like Psecret Psociety Pshort Pstories, Volume 1 (and Volume 2), these brief tales run the gamut from the th...
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North Coast Tales
- Jul-2018
- / General Fiction
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The ten (10) short stories (to date) that take place along the North Coast of California are gathered in this bargain-priced bundle. Over 25K total words. The tales are slightly surreal at times, often suspenseful, and consistently thought-filled. On...
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Tales from the Virginias
- Aug-2018
- / Literary
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Eight meta-real short stories that take place in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia are gathered into one e-file:1. Galax_ Galaxy (thought interception in a quaint Blue Ridge town)2. Charlie West (kicking about in Charleston, WV)3. Frie...
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10 Degrees at Random
The author takes his 7-year-old son trick-or-treating on Halloween 2010 in east Charlotte (USA). One particular residence is insidiously spookier than the rest.Approximately 1100 words.If this little tale were a movie, it would most likely be rated G...
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21 Park Place
Way back in January of 1860, in New York City, a 16-year-old lad begins to think that his fate in America won't live up to his dreams. He then goes missing one snowy evening. When he is found, no one can forget the sight.Approx. 1300 words.Based on a...
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The 3 Coins
An average 40-something man comes across three strange coins in northeastern Pittsburgh on a May day in 2021. He then becomes bent on figuring out if they are worth anything. An Asian American lady in an unlikely store may know something about the co...
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Agony in Agness
A young couple, keen IT professionals from the Netherlands, move to Silicon Valley, hoping to hit it big. They get their lucky break and move to secluded southwestern Oregon. But, when everything seems perfect is when ...Rating: G (ok for all ages).W...
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Airported to Knowhere
Agent 33 finds himself in the Charlotte (USA) airport on a September day in 2010. He befriends an older man from Florida in the check-in line, who later disappears with his luggage. While trying to find the apparent thief, he finds himself in a bit o...
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Al on Arcata
The author (Agent 33) contacts 'the amazing one' (Al Nino) on a humid spring day to get his take on Arcata (California, USA) and the surrounding area. Al shares some interesting anecdotes as the interrogation proceeds, including some very frank admis...
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The Alphabet Man
A middle-aged Caucasian American man invents a new English alphabet. However in its creation, a mobster gets fooled in Rochester, NY. Now living six states away in North Dakota, Bill must be cautious. His Latin American cohort suddenly has a lot of q...
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An April Fools' Day
Agents 32 & 33 take a Friday trip to Asheville (NC, USA) to take in the Blackbird Blackbird show at the One Stop pub.It's a nice evening of psychedelically infused folktronica. [sic]Afterwards, they discover that there is an April Fools' joke...
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The Balcony
Agents 32 and 33 go to Carolina Beach on Thanksgiving Day 2014 and check into a nearly vacant oceanfront hotel. All is going ho-hum normal until a man suddenly unlocks their room's door, while both are in compromised positions. Later that ni...
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Ball in the Creek
The author, Agent 33, spies a small ball floating in a Charlotte (NC, USA) creek on his lunch-break, which leads to an odd odyssey of thoughts, instances, and conversations.If this little tale were a movie, it would be rated G.Approx. 1700 words....
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Bangkok in Salisbury
Agents 32 and 33 find themselves in downtown Salisbury (NC, USA) on a July afternoon in 2014 and decide to go for a late lunch. Notes are hidden and advice is given. All this while a World Cup soccer/football match plays overhead.Another one in the p...
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Beanstreets
The author recounts a visit to his favorite downtown Asheville coffeehouse, Beanstreets, in April of 1998. An intriguing 'cosmic' conversation at an adjacent table is overheard and transcribed. Just another legendary day at the award-winning ...
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Black Sand, White Surf
It is 1955 on The Lost Coast of northern California. A young female African American jazz singer is on a first weekend-alone date with a male Caucasian American piano player. The fog rolls in. Their discussion heats up. But then their euphoric moment...
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A Blue Whale of a Tale
A senior salesman tries to make one last sale at a soon-to-open bar in Bluefield, West Virginia. Before demonstrating his rapid-refrigeration device, he has a meandering, sexually allusive, past-recalling chat with the female bartender-to-be. When an...
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Bon Air
Agents 32 & 33 are on assignment in Pittsburgh on a cold December day, looking for semi-hidden clues. The ghost-filled train slows, as the fleeing man runs faster ... away. (Away from where/what?) What has happened? Something sinister? Or strangely s...
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Boone There: Fun That
Three agents drive up to Boone (NC, USA) from Charlotte to search for the elusive Jim and Jill characters on a cold December day. They discuss possible scenarios and motives for Jim's fleeing on the Blue Ridge Parkway as a snowstorm starts. The car c...
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The Boxcars Line
A widower in Charlotte (NC, USA) comes up with an unusual 'wall art project' that involves a game of chance, which he shares with an old friend over lunch. Will he live to see the 'golden goal' scored?Approx. 1700 words.Rating: PG-13...
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Boxing Day
Agents 32 and 33 have an interesting conversation with a man sitting on an outdoor table at a convenience store in east Charlotte (NC, USA) on the day after Christmas. The warmer-than-normal weather, dipping sauces and frivolous lawsuits are discusse...
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Bridge Day
A late-twenty-something, still-getting-to-know-each-other, content Asian American couple goes to the Bridge Day festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia in October of 2006. All seems to be going well on the autumn-splendor drive up I-77 from Charlotte...
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The Bulge
Two agents - one who is quite high and won't stop joking - discuss the CATS Gold Line streetcar alignment through inner east Charlotte (NC, USA). Another psecret psociety pshort pstory.Approx. 1200 words.A quick fun read that won't railr...
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The Bully's Last Slurp
An Asian American (Hmong) male high school student in a western North Carolina (USA) chemistry lab is bullied by a mean knuckle-dragger. After carefully studying his options, Xeeb plots his revenge. Then a few months later, the window of opportunity ...
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The Bunker
An older Canadian gentleman is intrigued by an online text ad posted by a 'prepper' supply company. He decides to enter the subterranean-living contest. After all, with plenty of food, water, oxygen and entertainment, what could possibly go wrong 207...
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The Busboy
A largely autobiographical tale about the author's experience at a Charlotte (NC, USA) bar for the Liverpool - AS Roma semifinal Champions League match (first leg) on April 24, 2018. A certain busboy, possibly from Egypt, is in the throes of mental a...
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Carmen of Carmen
A teenage Filipina goes blind in Bohol. It's a harsh adjustment. She is bitter at first, but later becomes optimistic. Then a natural catastrophe hits. Who will save her? If an American movie, the rating would be PG-13. Word count: 2121 (pe...
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Carolina Beached
On a cold January evening in 1986 at Carolina Beach (NC, USA), three future agents embark on a mission to investigate a flashing hotel sign, some fifty feet above the ground. Everything does not go as planned. Some found graffiti presages a calamitou...
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Caught Wild in Cotswold
Two familiar agents (32 and 33) ride bikes from the east Charlotte (NC, USA) neighborhood of Windsor Park to Cotswold Mall in southeast Charlotte on a splendid April morning. The route is meticulously noted (for map freaks). Once at the desired resta...
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The Cell Tower
A Central American cell-phone technician has a startling change of plan half-way up a tower in Charlotte (NC, USA).If this little vignette were expanded into an American movie, it would most likely be rated G (ok for all ages).Vaguely based on a real...
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Channelling Kate Logue
Kate Logue, the most unusual young lady who the uber-surrealist Andre' Breton met in Derry/Londonderry in 1923, is the featured guest in this psecret psociety pshort pstory.Approx. 1100 words.If this were a movie it would probably be rated G....
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Charlie West
Agents 32 and 33 take a road trip to Charleston (WV, USA) from Charlotte on a nice December day. They stay in a downtown hotel and explore the city on foot, sampling some popular eateries and shops. They avoid falling in the Kanawha River and learn a...
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The Chat
A single, middle-aged man in Pittsburgh is contacted out-of-the-blue by a strange, very frank, date-seeking, mid-30-ish, attractive lady. An online chat ensues. Her circumstances are uncertain. Doubt and suspicion arise. Is she telling him the truth?...
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Chimney Rocked
Three familiar agents (32, 33, 666) visit Chimney Rock State Park (NC, USA) on a nice spring day for hiking, history, geology, incredible views, and strange conversation (sometimes intended to be overheard). Approx. 2400 words. Another tale in the ps...
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The Cipher
A middle-aged man, a home inspector, stumbles upon a short cipher in a southwestern Virginia (USA) coffee shop. As he tries to solve it, the weather conditions worsen. Then there is a medical emergency. Later that evening, the Cherokee barista wonder...
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The Classified Ad
The young author (future Agent 33) makes his first journey - on a very limited budget - to San Francisco (CA, USA) at the end of 1986. When he finds an underground periodical in a city bus shelter, a very strange personal ad catches his eye and arres...
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The Clerk
A 20-something Asian American clerk at a Charlotte (NC, USA) convenience store is up to something more than just sales of fuel and overpriced sundries.Approx. 1500 words.If this little slice-of-life vignette were expanded into an American movie, it w...
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Columbia Eclipsed
Agents 32 and 33 of the nebulous entity known as psecret psociety venture to Columbia (SC, USA) from Charlotte in the wee hours of a Monday morning (August 21, 2017) to take in the total solar eclipse. They chat with assorted folks on their way to a ...
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Connect-I-Cut
A pair of longtime pals meet in a downtown Hartford (CT) bar in the summer of 2022. One introduces a newly devised 'word game' to to the other, who appears to already be intoxicated. The female Asian bartender is concerned. The little 'game of letter...
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The Correspondence
A pinay in her mid-20s, who is seeking a foreigner for marriage, and a 27-year-old American exchange letters back in 1989. All seems to be going fine. They will finally meet each other in the Philippines. But then something mysterious happens - somet...
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Daly City Daze
Agents 32 & 33 of psecret psociety discuss possibilities for a soon-to-rain Saturday in Daly City, California. A strange image is recalled from the day before: is it a portent of an imminent earthquake? Monique, once carbed-up, delivers the winning l...
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Day Two
Agents 32 and 33 return and scrape Beaverton, Oregon for existential clues in the late summer of 2020. Two cans of Rant-o-Roni are uncovered. A Texan émigré calms the scene.Word count: 2121.Rating: PG-13....
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December Delirium
The author (future agent 33) and his now-deceased cohort in mind, Frank N. Peck (future agent 107), take a smoky drive in east Charlotte in 1981 (which is retraced in 2015). The topic of LED time displays soon takes over their conversation and turns ...
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The Delirious Cynics
A 60-something male befriends a 50-something female online. The two Pittsburgh residents both have not-so-positive attitudes regarding humanity, which they perversely enjoy. On a gray winter day, they decide to advance their cyber-friendship to somet...
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Disconnected in DC
Agents 32 and 33 of the psecret psociety travel to Washington, DC for a simple passport renewal. However, a strange, meta-real adventure soon begins, and they quickly find out that they may not be the only ones moving the tokens on the game board.A 2...
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Dormont Park
An interracial couple goes for their customary weekend exercise excursion at a park near the boundary with southwestern Pittsburgh. All starts out well enough. But then one of them makes a costly bad decision. And an older couple on a bench remain a ...
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Drama and Kale
On a tranquil November evening, the author (Agent 33) and his wife (Agent 32) venture to a vegetarian restaurant in east Charlotte for dinner. Nothing noteworthy is happening until a pair of young Caucasian ladies sits behind the author. The college ...
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Dumaguete Duality
The jet-lagged author overhears a pair of diametrically opposed conversations in adjacent coffee shops in ocean-view Dumaguete (Philippines) on a September morning. The contrast is astounding. Ok for all ages.Word count (per MS Word): 1818....
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The Edwards Branch Tunnel Legend
The legend of a mid-'70s jewelry heist in east Charlotte (NC, USA) is recounted. A clever subterranean escape route is employed. Then there is a sudden change of fortune.An 1100-word short story. Part of the psecret psociety pseries....
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Eureka!
A 20-something, struggling Latino American actor gets a strange letter in the mail on a desultory Hollywood afternoon. He then decides to act on the letter's invitation and takes a flight from Los Angeles to Portland (OR). In the PDX airport, he acco...
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Facebook Types, A to Z
Are there really 26 types of Facebook users? Is that the exact number of categorizable personalities on the currently-very-popular social-media site? Maybe. But, probably not. Though, one for each letter of the alphabet sure is convenient.The author ...
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Failed to Ignite
The amazing Al Nino of New York City contacts the author out of the blue on a calm-after-the-storm fall weekday. Al gets in his usual zingers, while the author tries to figure out if he has been ripped off. Approx. 1200 words.Another one in the ...
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Fall of the Yellow Jackets
On a resplendent autumn afternoon, two recurring agents (32 and 33) have a discussion on the back patio in east Charlotte (NC, USA). A certain species of flying insect soon make its presence known. An encyclopedic discussion of yellow jackets ensues....
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Fallon Park
The author recalls a winter walk with his dad and younger brother a half century ago in Raleigh, NC. They stumble upon some unlikely ruins. Thoughts of the future abound, and rebound.Length: 1919 words.Rating: G (ok for all ages)....
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False Cape
A cadre of Frenchmen head to coastal northern California to perform and film a risky stunt. The weather deteriorates. Suspicion and revenge move in. A noir-esque drama ensues. Suddenly, they are in quite the predicament in an unfamiliar, foreign-lang...
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Farallon
In 2017 on the central California coast, a proprietary, just-developed prototype, first-of-its-kind quantum computing chip is stolen. A nautical chase ensues. And then an unforeseen calamity. Suspicions emerge and take hold. A lone man is stranded. W...
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Fortunate in Fortuna
Agents 32 and 33 of the nebulous psecret psociety venture to the Eel River town of Fortuna in Northern California via bus on a splendid spring Saturday. While in a local eatery, they get directed to a museum, where more clues are taken in. On a bridg...
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Found Note
A 1300-word short story about a man who discovers an old note intentionally hidden in an old Charlotte (NC, USA) apartment. He then follows the mysterious note's directions.Mr. Malloy: AbsentSex: NoneViolence: NoneDrugs: NoneStangeness level: Hig...
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The Fraudster
A fired-for-unscrupulous-behavior bank employee decides to start a church in Atlanta. Money soon rolls in. Life is good. What could possibly go wrong?Approx. 1600 words.Probable rating: PG-13 (some foul language)....
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Galax_ Galaxy
Agents 32 and 33 of the psecret psociety venture up to Galax, Virginia (USA) in the fall of 2012. A young man presents Agent 33 with a strange device, and discovers what the quaint mountain town is really thinking. A 2,400-word short story.No sex.No ...
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Gallivanting in Galax
Agents 32 and 33 of the psecret psociety return to Galax (Virginia, USA) on Christmas Eve 2016 to make amends for a previous short story. They go on an evening walk through the nearly deserted town, finally alighting at a cool craft brewery across fr...
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Glen Park Girl
The author recounts a day in June of 1992 in the San Francisco Bay area, in which he suddenly meets a bold 'high as a kite' Japanese young lady at the Glen Park BART train station. He helps her on her way, and she gives him a just reward.Approximatel...
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Grandfathered
On a Saturday in March of 2017, Agents 32 and 33 venture to Grandfather Mountain (NC, USA) from Charlotte, via Blowing Rock. They take in the usual sites, adding unusual remarks. Then, under the Linn Cove Viaduct, they strike auditory gold.Approx. 3,...
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Greensboro Gaffe
Agents 32 and 33 of the psecret psociety take the train from Charlotte to meet up with Agent 14 in downtown Greensboro (NC, USA) and attempt to locate the mythical Jim character.Another meta-real odd odyssey. ...
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Greenville Jaunt
Agents 32 and 33 of the psecret psociety venture to Greenville (SC, USA) from Charlotte on a February Saturday. They check out scenic Falls Park and the unique Liberty Bridge, while looking for clues and becoming clues themselves. A craft brewery and...
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The Guardrail
An Irishman, now a widower, takes a vacation to a small island in the Philippines. The Filipina waitress has quite a tragic story to share. Can horrific loss lead to a new beginning?If an American movie, the rating would probably be PG-13 (raw though...
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Hanako of Hokkaido
On a snowy evening in Sapporo, a young Asian lady wonders how to send her candid message to a person/robot in the 25th century. Her mind is a mile-a-minute. Suddenly she realizes that she may have been under surveillance.Length: 2442 words.Probable R...
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The Hermit
A unique female from the greater Philadelphia area finds her perfect secluded spot in the dense woods of rural North Carolina. All is going to be perfect for her long-desired, solitary, stress-free, creative lifestyle. But then one spring morning ......
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High Peak Revisited
The author (Agent 33) goes back to where he lived for four years (1997-2001) with his 2nd wife and his twelve-year-old son on a nice April day in the Blue Ridge. The small, yet steep, mountain known as High Peak (near Etowah, NC, USA) looks about the...
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His Name was Ted Maize
Agent 33 of the Psecret Psociety recounts a strange dream about someone who he has never met (Ted Maize) over rooftop beers in Charlotte. But, was it really just a dream? Was it his dream? Did someone put a chip on his brain? What thoughts are really...
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I-40, Wire to Wire
A high-end burglary outfit finds out where a long-lost, multi-million-dollar Faberge' egg is being housed. Once the imperial egg is seized, it must go all the way from the Atlantic coast of southeastern North Carolina to the Mojave Desert in southern...
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Inside Office 108
On a rainy November night in an American city, an after-hours, extra-marital affair takes place in a college office.Will the paramours be discovered? What will happen to them in the future?Based on a real-life series of tragic events.Approx. 1,000 wo...
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Jane's Final Piece
A female visual artist in her late 20s, living in the Portland (OR) metro, struggling to make it in the Pacific Northwest art scene, is dealt a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Another tale in the psecret psociety pshort pstory pseries.Contains...
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Jim & Jill
It's sometime in the future on planet Earth, perhaps the 25th century or thereabouts. The humanoid robots have won out. And, what do these ultra-smart androids do for entertainment? Why, they replay miscellaneous memories from the humankind era. But,...
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Just a Janitor in Jakarta
A young office cleaner in Indonesia feels that her prospects for a decent future are veritably bleak after a freak accident in the family. Then one day there is an apparition. Is it a harbinger?Approx. 2200 words.Probable rating if a movie: PG-13....
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Just a Moment in Time
Agent 33 ruminates while gazing at the Willamette River in Oregon City. Agent 32 is not in the mood for anymore nonsense. And, who was passing over the I-205 bridge at 4:37:19 on the 5th of September (2020)?Word count: 1919 (original manuscript).Rati...
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Kentucky Crepuscule
A grandfather and his two grandkids go for a walk on a majestic autumn evening in a field in western Kentucky. When the three of them seem to all see something strange, their wonderings rapidly multiply. Was the image related to a tragic event way ba...
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King Range Blues
A fairly ordinary fellow goes for a psychoactive hike on a spring day in the mid-1960s in the Lost Coast area of northern California. Soon his mind is very alive. But tragedy is always lurking a few steps behind. Is it inescapable?Rating: PG-13.Word ...
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Laaw Lagoon
A Philippine father and son go for a walk from the sea to a mysterious lagoon. Something is spotted in the water. Will it lead to resolution or just more confusion? A Filipina throws the dogs a bone.If an American movie, the rating would probably be ...
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Lake Montonia Gaze
The author (Agent 33) and an old friend named Slim (no Agent no.) go for a winter's day hike on an old mountain ridge about 45 minutes west of Charlotte (NC, USA) to discuss the sudden passing of an old friend (Agent 107). However, other topics e...
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Lake Montonia Regazed
Agent 32 (codename: Monique) reviews and critiques a previous short story, 'Lake Montonia Gaze', with Agent 33 (the author). She then asks him a series of probing questions regarding the said short story. When question no. 5 is asked, a most ...
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LFC in CLT
Liverpool fans, Agents 32, 33 and 666, go to the LFC - AC Milan preseason game at Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte on Saturday evening, August 2, 2014. They join the parade of mighty Reds fans and chant their way into the modern-day coloss...
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The Locked Door
A single Asian American female lives alone in an apartment in a SE US city. A locked storage closet door leads to speculation, mistaken identity, and tragedy.Approx. 1700 words.If this psecret psociety tale were a movie, it would most likely be rated...
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Lolita of Loleta
When a 15-year-old girl turns 16 in a small Northern California (USA) town, she falls for the new 20-something psychology teacher. Despite the male instructor's aloofness, Laura is determined to wear him down and make him hers.WARNING: FOR ADULTS ONL...
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Lucky Strikes
Agents 32 and 33 drive to Salisbury (NC, USA) from Charlotte to visit Agent 33's dad at the VA Hospital. They then head back to Charlotte on I-85, stopping at the popular Concord Mills Mall for a frappuccino (after striking out on LFC gear). Once...
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Mad River Madman
Bill, a Gulf War veteran who is living in a camper on the outskirts of Arcata (California, USA), gets some bad news on a gloomy morning in late winter of 2014. With no savings, he starts selling. Stress builds. Old demons re-emerge. Eventually, he is...
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Manhattan Calling
On a splendid fall day, Al Niño calls in with unsolicited e-book advice for the author. However, the rambling conversation soon deteriorates once again.Word count: 1616 (original manuscript).Rating: PG-13....
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The Mathematician
The author visits an interesting 'numbers man' on a December afternoon in Charlotte after a car crash. The conversation branches out and curls back. Kat Da'dy presages the affair. Dwight Clark's famous NFL catch gets caught in the word salad.Approx. ...
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Memories of Malloy
Before going to watch the Liverpool - Hull City football/soccer match at an uptown pub, the author (Agent 33) and his wife (Agent 32) discuss the legendary Mr. Malloy at a Starbucks in an older Charlotte (USA) neighborhood. The barista overhears thei...
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Monticia of Moncton
A teenage female Burmese refugee in maritime Canada has a lot on her mind. High school is done; college looms. The new cyber-boyfriend is very intriguing. And the boy from up north knows that he has met his match. But then 13 of fate clears its cosmi...
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Moonstone Moonchild
A young lady repeatedly walks a North Coast (CA, USA) beach, searching for a certain semiprecious stone. She appears deranged. However, to one prestigious college graduate, Manda appears like easy prey. What happens at the 'moon garden' will complete...
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The Mound
A father and son are playing soccer/football in their back yard on a March day in central North Carolina. An errant kick sends the ball into the creek. Dad goes to retrieve it, and his son follows. Dad then notices a mound that looks strangely famili...
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Mouth of Mattole
In the late 1980s, a group of young adults plan a private rave on a desolate area of northern California's Lost Coast. All seems to be going fine until ...Word count of original manuscript: 2040 words.Rating: PG-13 (MDMA drug use)....
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Mysterieau Returns
[from the story's opening]Mysterieau – that borderline surrealist, that oddly intriguing raconteur, that all-laughter-barred comedian, that strangely lame magician – returned to the stage after pumping the well for some new-liquidity idea...
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Mysterieau Resurfaces
A very strange, multi-faceted, coarse-tongued, bizarrely costumed performance artist re-alights in Pittsburgh after a long national absence on a winter night at an East End dive bar. His act gets off to an icy start, but then gains some momentum. And...
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Nantahala
A divorced father takes his teenage son and daughter up to a remote cabin in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, where he wants to tell them something very important about his - and their - future. But a present moment intervenes, and everything f...
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Netarts Bay
The drowning death of a young female kayaker catches the eye of another young female kayaker in early May of 2020. Bored out of her gourd in the Covid-19 lockdown (her college has closed and her part-time job is gone), Liz decides to investigate wher...
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Neutral Buoyancy
In June of 1995, a man from Charlotte drives to a mountain lake in western North Carolina (USA) to test out his new kayak, and to check out a hard-to-reach waterfall. All is going swimmingly well. Then he notices something suspended in the water.&nbs...
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Newport in the Sweet Spot
A mid-20-something, rad-n-ripped Asian American appears in a downtown Newport (RI) coffeehouse one May day in 2024. The British American barista takes notice of a chart on his table that includes a list of the larger US cities and climate data. They ...
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North of Wonder
In Grants Pass (Oregon), an Asian American lady meets up with a Caucasian American female friend who has something to her. The two late-20-somethings enter uncharted territory. But bliss is never far away from tragedy.Rated: PG-13.Word count: 3333 (p...
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A Novella Idea
Agent A~O (Al Nino) texts Agent 33 (the author) out of the blue on an overcast February day in Charlotte (NC, USA), requesting 'ideas'. He then calls Agent 33 to learn more about an upcoming novella involving sex robots. Al seems to be high o...
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Ok, Roll the Dice
In the summer of 1992, the author (future psecret psociety agent 33), finds himself once again in the nearly hidden, knowhere [sic] pub called Sidle on N on Judah Street in the Outer Sunset district of San Francisco. The bartender on this Thursday af...
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On The Gold Line
Agents 32 and 33 take a ride on the Gold Line streetcar on a snowy Sunday morning in Charlotte. They are headed to an uptown bar to watch the Liverpool - Man Utd. soccer/football match. On the way, they strike up a conversation with a passenger from ...
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One Day in November
While at a Starbucks inside a Target department store in midtown Charlotte (NC, USA), the author (Agent 33) overhears an interesting conversation at an adjacent table between a writer and a possible literary agent. The bizarrely unique techniques tha...
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One October Day
On an October day in 2014, in near-uptown Charlotte (NC, USA), a wandering middle-age man accosts the author (Agent 33) at a crosswalk, seeking directions to Interstate 77. The vagabond, who has a very odd way of speaking, is on his way to Florida, a...
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An Orlando Saturday
The author (Agent 33) and his wife, Monique (Agent 32), meet up with Monique's older brother, Steve (no agent number yet), in Casselberry, Florida, USA. From there they take public transit to downtown Orlando to watch the Liverpool - Leicester Ci...
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The Other Manila
Agents 32 and 33 of the hard-to-define entity known as psecret psociety investigate the small North Coast (California, USA) enclave of Manila on Arcata Bay. They soon realize that they may be stranded for fifteen hours. But then, a pair of kind Asian...
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Outright Enright
On a chilly overcast autumn afternoon, a father, son and daughter go for a hike in the Oregon Coast Range. The number 7 features prominently. A female hermit leaves some cryptic clues.Word count: 2929 (according to MS Word).Rating: PG-13....
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Overheard & Overhead
Agents 32 and 33 take a harrowing bike ride through east Charlotte to a Taco Bell. They recognize the exceedingly courteous African American employee (from previous visits) behind the counter and exchange pleasantries. Their food arrives and all seem...
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Pass-Through Paradox
Two Denver-area (Colorado, USA) university employees work in separate but adjacent storerooms. However, there is a connection between these two basement storage rooms: a vent high up on the wall. What could be misconstrued? What could ever go wrong? ...
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The Pea
The author (Agent 33) recounts the day that he and his son found an unusual object inside a spray paint can. Approx. 1100 words.Violence: None.Sex: None.Drug usage: None.Mr. Malloy: Not present.Strangeness level: Moderate....
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The Pebble, the Sword, the Bullet
Two Caucasian dudes of different ages and backgrounds become pals at an art gallery in Charlotte (NC, USA) around 1995. They enjoy the high-grade smoke. But then, there is a falling out of sorts, and a most violent end to their friendship.Based on a ...
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PhragMeant
The author recounts a semi-fictional, very strange, at the time legal, mind-drug experience in San Francisco in 1992. When the young Asian lady disappears on the Lands End Trail, he is left doubting the sequence of events.Approx. 1700 words.If this l...
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The PKG
A man in his late 50s receives a package around lunchtime on his day off from work. He opens it, and a world of trouble jumps out.Another tale in the ongoing psecret psociety pshort pstory pseries. Approx. 2200 words.If this little tale were a movie ...
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Plasma & Wigwood
The now-trendy Plaza-Midwood area of inner east Charlotte (NC, USA) is known as Plasma-Wigwood in hip circles. But, exactly how did this term come about? This 1600-word short story posits a possible source: a pair of young dudes, a Caucasian and an A...
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Poodle Park
A quite hilarious at times (and ridiculously insincere throughout), paragon of first-word issues, lunchtime conversation in a high-end Charlotte restaurant is overheard and transcribed. The subjects' most likely thoughts are generously sprinkled into...
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Poro Diary
A heartbroken pinoy is stumbling about in a seaside cavern on a small island in the central Visayas (Philippines). He suddenly comes in contact with some pages from someone's diary. The year of the strange diary entries is 1969, twenty-two years ago....
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Portland Portent
In October of 1992, the author (future Agent 33) takes an interesting bus trip from San Francisco to Portland (OR). He has a very strange dream with an iconic image in a North Portland motel room. When he later goes hiking in Forest Park, a surreal a...
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The Postcard
Two longtime, though forever competitive, 50-something American friends meet for a weekend of golf in Roaring Gap, NC (in the Blue Ridge Mountains). The weather is perfect. What could ever go wrong? And, what was on the back of that World War 2 postc...
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Powerball - Soccerball
A virtual soccer/football game (which could be used in a betting pool) is devised by a seldom-heard-from psecret psociety agent. The lottery-numbers-based procedure is outlined meticulously. The scoring averages are very realistic. Zack sure had some...
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Prime Pairs and a Die
A Filipino college student in Cebu receives a most-unique assignment: create a game that employs a die and an analog clockface. At first, he is flummoxed to the max. But then after a few sips of a mildly psychoactive beverage, a game comes into focus...
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Psatori
Agents 32 and 33 take a bike ride to NoDa (in northeast Charlotte, NC, USA). There they encounter some very interesting people at a Cajun restaurant. Bizarre conversations are overheard and recorded. Then the magic granules take effect, and they...
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pspelling rewls
The first set of spelling rules (from 2010-11) for psecret psociety are gathered into this 1600-word short story. A basic sentence grows stranger with every spelling permutation. Of the nine spelling rules presented, only one is 'etched in pstone...
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The Punt
The author (Agent 33) and his teenage son (Agent 66) are passing an American football in their back yard on a fall day in east Charlotte (USA). When dad kicks the ball - errantly - an aerial dilemma ensues. A possible remedy crashes out.Approx. 1500 ...
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Quotidian x 2
An American IT professional takes a short-term assignment in the Netherlands. He settles in Amsterdam. Soon he notices a man with a unique cadence who passes under his window on a very exact schedule. When he investigates further, he gets quite a sho...
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Raleigh by Railway
Familiar psecret psociety agents 32 and 33 take the Amtrak train from Charlotte to Raleigh in early November of 2015, searching for short story material under overcast skies ... and, boy do they ever find it.This short story features a strange hotel ...
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Remote
Two sexagenarians meet up to reminisce and discuss a science-fiction novel (that has a not-so-happy ending) written by the one who now lives alone in a cabin in isolated, rural Oregon.Thoughts, notes, and health issues come into play.Rating: PG-13.Wo...
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Ri'Ra' Ruckus
The author (Agent 33) goes to the official Liverpool FC bar in uptown Charlotte for the Europa League match with Villarreal (at Anfield). After the game, he heads downstairs and finds an open seat at the bar, as a Cinco de Mayo party commences. The m...
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The Right Triangle
The author (future Agent 33) visits the infamous knowhere [sic] San Francisco bar (in the Outer Sunset district), Sidle on N, yet again in September of 1992. There, the Amerasian bartender, Dash, tells him about his uber-smart friend's plan for a...
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Samoa Sam
An adopted, active, mixed-race lady in her mid-20s goes on an epic weekend cycling and rowing excursion to help maintain her slim physique. Yet, the outing is also for psychological reasons, as her mind soon goes into overdrive. Sam is wondering abou...
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A Search for Sidle on N
Agents 32 and 33 search the outer Sunset district of San Francisco for signs of the fabled knowhere [sic] pub known as Sidle on N. They walk down Judah Street through the dense fog towards the invisible Pacific Ocean. Without any success, they take a...
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Seldom Seen
A day-date in south Pittsburgh some two decades prior is recalled on a perfect autumn day. Thoughts of 'where is he/she now?' pervade. And then on the local news later that night ...Rating: PG-13Word count: 1515 (per MS Word)...
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Shadyside
The author has a chance conversation with a lone bagel-bakery worker on a cold Sunday morning in Pittsburgh. The topic of virtual games comes up. Apparently one involves all of the Steel City's neighborhoods.Total word count (including text in the em...
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Siquijor Seduction Zone
The initial in-person meeting of future agents 32 and 33 on Siquijor Island (Philippines) in 2010 is recounted in this 2100-word psecret psociety pshort pstory.Includes a reference to the 'Bottled' pshort pstory....
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Slurpee Man
The author, Agent 33, is out on campus on an October day, thinking that he'll never have a short story idea ever again, when lo and behold, he is accosted on the sidewalk by a young man demanding a certain icy beverage. Agent 32 calls the author ...
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The Soldier
Two young soldiers - an American specialist and a Romanian guard - are assigned an environmental task in southeastern Afghanistan in 2009. The area is very dangerous; Taliban attacks have recently occurred. Who will be 'the soldier'?Approx. 1900 word...
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Starring in Roanoke
Recurring Agents 32 and 33 of the nebulous entity known as psecret psociety investigate Roanoke (Virginia, USA); more specifically, the famous Mill Mountain Star. It is a warm fall day that soon fills with lofty random conversation on sundry topics. ...
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Strange Lady of the Woods
In the mid-1970s in east Charlotte (NC, USA), a young man chances upon a peculiar woman in the forest surrounding his neighborhood.Approx. 1600 words.Sex: No.Violence: No.Drug usage: Yes.Strangeness level: Moderately high.Mr. Malloy: Absent....
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Sugarloaf
Two fishermen-friends are about ready to 'call it a day' off of Cape Mendocino (northern California) on a fall day in the early 1990s. But then, there is a sudden change of plan. What was seen - or assumed to have been seen - on uninhabited Sugarloaf...
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The Sunflower Mystery
It's their third date, and their first out-of-towner. It's a nice summer afternoon at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville (NC). All is going swell. They are becoming very relaxed around each other. And then they head over to the winery for the day's clo...
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Suspicion at Neahkahnie
Three 30-something individuals are involved in the transfer of an all-new, ultra-revelatory, mind-blowing substance on the Oregon coast in the fall of 2019. However, something goes wrong. Someone (or ones) is/are lying. All become very suspicious of ...
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Taken Away
An older couple's conversation while in a Munising, Michigan restaurant. A recent accidental death and a store robbery are discussed. The man begins to feel his sanity is being 'taken away'.Approx. 1K words.Rating: PG-13 (an instance of foul language...
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Terminal Moraine
Hua is a young woman from remote northwestern China who takes a factory job in Shanghai. The work is tedious, wrist-aching and spirit-defeating. The hours are very long. On her only day off, she receives a phone call relaying some tragic news. Once b...
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Tewahedo Woman
While on an autumn morning bike ride in east Charlotte (USA), the author is suddenly summoned by a distressed Ethiopian lady on the side of the road. Very closely based on real-life events on October 16, 2016.Approx. 1300 words.If this little tale we...
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That Old Ball Game
Agents 32 and 33 of the psecret psociety take in a minor league baseball game in Charlotte (NC, USA) in April of 2014. They are almost struck by a baseball, but it curves and becomes a just-inside-the-foul-pole home run. Agent 33 keeps recalling a Sa...
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That Day in '73
In 2013 at a small northern California restaurant, a Caucasian man and an Asian woman recall a long-ago hiking adventure on the Lost Coast. Thoughts of 'what might have been?' pervade. Will they pick up where they left off? Will the long-lost object ...
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That Rock
A young woman is being chased through the coastal redwoods of northern California in 1919. She begins looking for a place to hide from the sadistic maniac. Will she survive?Approx. 2K words.Ok for all ages....
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Tiki Wiki
The author (Agent 33) and his wife (Agent 32) return to the Golden Sands (hotel) at Carolina Beach (NC, USA) for a family Thanksgiving. A strangely short pier catches their attention. There, by chance, they meet a Liverpool FC fan from England. Some ...
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Tillie
A grandfather-grandson hike ends at a vista of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse in northwestern Oregon. The inquisitive, scientific-minded lad has many questions about the shuttered, abandoned, off-shore beacon on a perfect summer day. There's a strange...
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To Morrow Tomorrow, edition 3-C
On a majestic March day in 1983, the author and the late Frank von Peck - while under the influence of a strange psychoactive elixir - traipse around Morrow Mountain State Park (NC, USA), eventually finding - by forked chance - a magical green pond i...
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The Toothache
On a foggy morning in 1954, a middle-aged man in San Francisco has a bad toothache. He begins walking to try to get his mind off of it. In a small cafe', he gets some homeopathic advice. But, only the Golden Gate Bridge can provide permanent relief f...
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A Tour to The Tower
Agents 32 and 33 take a trip from Charlotte to Blowing Rock (NC, USA) on a sleety March afternoon. The next day they do a cold-air hike up to the fire lookout tower on Flat Top Mountain. Notes are gathered and stories are left behind. Includes words ...
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A Trek to Zeke's Island
In September of 1986, the author (psecret psociety agent 33) and his pal, Frank von Peck (agent 107), go for a treacherous walk along a weather-worn stone breakwater along the Cape Fear River in southeastern coastal North Carolina. They depart from F...
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Trinidad Head
Agents 32 and 33 of the nebulous entity known as psecret psociety are assigned to the North Coast of California (USA) to check out a dome-shaped almost-an-island feature for possible clues. The circular hike yields amazing views, strange occurrences,...
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The Trout
The author has a random conversation with a school teacher from Michigan at a craft-beer bar/store in downtown Morganton (NC, USA) on an autumn afternoon. The answer to the final question was hiding behind a submerged granite boulder. Autobiographica...
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Two Dreams and One Call
The amazing one in the Big Apple, Al Nino, calls the pain-ridden, lowly author on New Year's Eve (2018), and launches a zinger-filled inquisition in reference to two bizarre dreams. Are they linked? To whom or what?Approx. 1600 words.Rated PG-13....
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Uber and Under
On a whim, the author (Agent 33) calls up Agent 889 to ask him about his Uber driving experience in the Charlotte area.Another tale in the psecret psociety pshort pstory pseries.Approx. 1400 words.Sex: No.Violence: No.Drug usage: Mentioned in passing...
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The Vault
In 2008 in east Charlotte, a man walks out of his house in the early evening hours and is never seen again. Then, eight years later, almost to the day, clues to his final resting place are accidentally discovered by a storm water crew working near a ...
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Vermont Street
Once in San Francisco, Agents 32 and 33 decide to take a trip to the curvy section of Vermont Street on Potrero Hill. Along the way a man tells them about a very unique game that was once played on the street. While walking back they find 'the one th...
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The Vision
Set in the Clam Beach - McKinleyville area of Northern California (USA) in 2016. An ordinary man in his mid-30s has a compelling dream that offers a chance to find treasure nearby. Is the vision just subliminal wishful thinking? Nick starts to think ...
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Waterfall Horror
Agents 32 and 33 go to Blowing Rock (NC, USA) on a nice spring day to check out a waterfall where a tragedy occurred during the Great Depression. A heroine from that grim day has a connection to Charlotte and the Univ. of Texas.Another tale in the ps...
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The Well
In 1588, the Roanoke Colony (later known as the Lost Colony, as not a single colonist was found when revisited in 1590), an English settlement in present-day North Carolina, USA, is overrun by a Native American tribe. A male settler flees the onslaug...
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Wendy of Winchester
A 50-something, solitary, attention-arresting lady begins to think that she is the exact character in a work of fiction. As the granules dissolve, more connections are made. Has Wendy entered some holographic reality?Rating: PG-13.Word count (per MS ...
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West Portal
Agents 32 and 33 traipse around San Francisco on a grey October day, finally alighting in the West Portal neighborhood. All is going relatively well, but thoughts of what might have been pervade. Uncertainty abounds. The tram carries memories down th...
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Whale Gulch
Near the close of the Roaring '20s, a boat loses power and drifts ashore in northern California. The ominous autumn sky darkens. The woman fears the worst. Her boyfriend is frantic. Then a surprise appearance increases the suspense.Approx. 1700 words...
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What the Drone Saw
A father and son go for an afternoon outing to the Natural Bridges (coastal southern Oregon) on an autumn Saturday. The son's new drone performs perfectly. Until a miscue at the end. The video footage is very unsettling. Did a teenage girl die?Rating...
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While Waiting for the Trolley
The author (Agent 33) recounts a candid conversation with a Philadelphia Eagles fan in uptown Charlotte, while waiting for a streetcar to arrive on a muggy Friday morning. Some unexpected revelations. From ho-hum ordinary to hysterically absurd. ...
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Windgap
A male sexagenarian recounts a psychedelic outing in western Pittsburgh in 1973. Over the four-plus decades, many of the dectet have died. Then a phone call from the shy Latina. Time to compare notes. Is Wayne's time up? Approx. 2K mots. Rating: PG-1...
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Windmill with a View
In the summer of 1992, the author (future agent 33) has an interesting discussion with an Amerasian bartender in the fabled Sidle on N pub in the Outer Sunset district of San Francisco. Apparently, Dash the bartender, has found a 'unique' pla...
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Winston-Salem Revue
Agents 32 and 33 of the so-called psecret psociety travel from Charlotte to Winston-Salem (NC, USA) to search for more clues on a majestic spring Saturday. They sample several downtown spots and leave their own breadcrumbs. The next day, it's a lakes...
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A Winter Hike
Four guys (agents 2, 33, 107, and xxx) go on a smoky hike to three waterfalls near Brevard, NC, USA on a winter day in 2000. Dialogue proves to be a challenging adventure, just as much as the climbs. When some multicolored round objects are seen, a f...
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Wrightsville Beached
Back in the summer of 1985, three young dudes paddle a pair of inflatable rubber boats over to a deserted, very small, marsh island in the Wrightsville Beach (NC, USA) sound. Soon the 'elixium' starts to take effect. Space gets distorted. Wor...
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Xinguara
In a small Brazilian town in 2016, a young man who loves to fish - but doesn't make much money doing it - has fallen for a pretty young lady. However, this sexy, beautiful, middle-class lady is also being courted by a rich guy. Who will win out? One ...
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Yep, That was Me
Back in 1970, an unmanageable Australian lad can't wait to see the world. After fleeing from adult supervision once again, he decides to hitch a ride on a DC-8 jetliner docked at the Sydney airport. It all starts off real well in the wheel well. ...
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Zoo Are You?
Agents 32 and 33 take a trip from Charlotte to the NC Zoo (USA) in Asheboro on a cool and cloudy April day. They see and comment (in the usual bizarre fashion) on the zoo-enclosed animal species. Monique is elated when she sees her favorite animal: a...
