Joshua Nicholson
Stories (2)
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Wings on Fire
Texas, Spring 1870 The smell is what awoke him. He opened his eyes, peeled back the sheets and went to the window. His eyes widened, reflecting the orange glow coming from outside. Before going out there and greeting the flames, Archie figured bringing his shotgun with him was a good idea. Once close up to the blaze, he realized just how unbearable the smell really was. He headed back inside, grabbed an old shirt and fashioned it into a balaclava. With breathing being a less strenuous task, Archie had the wherewithal to inspect the burning stable. He poked the bits of flaming wood with the barrel of his shotgun. He managed to flip one of the beams over to reveal what laid underneath. Bone. The burning flesh that still clung on was causing the smell. That's why, Archie mused, he recognized the scent. Another beam was overturned and out came the owl. It's wings ablaze as they stretched out and soared the bird into the night sky. Archie jumped back and watched as a trail of glowing feathers slowly rode the air. He shook off the peculiar sight and looked back to the stable. They're all dead then, Archie figured. All he could do now was wait for the fire to die down. So, that's what he did. He dragged a wooden, rocking chair from the porch. He sat and watched as the flames grew dimmer and the sun grew brighter. Morning came and brought with it, clarity. A single trail of hoof prints in the sand lead away from the charred rubble of the stable. One horse. One man. They rode up to the stable, torched it, maybe stayed for a while to watch the show, before riding back off into the night. Who? Archie asked himself. He may not have known who was responsible, but he did know who could help him find out.
By Joshua Nicholson4 years ago in Fiction
A World Away
I thought the oval office would've been bigger than it was. It felt too cramped for the leader of the free world to do their business in. Of course, that is if you agree that the president of the United States is the leader of the free world. And, I suppose, whether you agree with that depends on what you class as the free world. Either way, these questions were, hopefully, going to be irrelevant in three months' time.
By Joshua Nicholson4 years ago in Fiction
