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 (451)
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13 O’clock
It was a bright, cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Yes, you heard right. I said the clocks were striking thirteen. In case you somehow missed the announcement, the government, in an effort to increase productivity among the labor class, has restructured the way it measures time. No, this is not an April Fool's joke. From now on, there will be twenty-six hours in a day. Lunch will begin precisely at thirteen o’clock and end exactly at thirteen-twenty. Anyone caught malingering past the appointed time must work an extra two hours without pay. This change will benefit the entire population. “So, say the one! So, say we all!”
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
Revival 6
Aaron remained in the shadows until the last of the congregation had left for home. This was his chance to get a closer look at the sacrificial altar and discover exactly what was butchered on it. He could hear voices coming from behind the red curtain shielding the rear of the sanctuary from view. He was certain the booming baritone voice belonged to the bishop. Aaron carefully peeked around the curtain to see what was going on. The four disciples sat around a table sipping a clear liquid that looked like moonshine.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Chapters
The Blocker
Today, people around the world seek me out, hoping I can help them find peace, but it wasn’t always like that. My childhood was filled with ridicule and pain from both classmates and relatives. They couldn’t understand why I had no desire to remember the bad things that happened in my life. How can you not remember? coming down with chickenpox, or falling off your bike and breaking an arm? For them, these were all memorable events, but for me, they were negative parts of my life that needed to be forgotten.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
Unlimited Returns
“Hey Pete, here she comes again. I wonder what she’s bringing back this time?” “Who knows? Since management came up with this, “unlimited returns” policy, she is in here almost every day. I’ll tell you, Dom, if it weren’t for her returning stuff so often, we’d be out of a job. Quick, look busy. She’s coming this way.”
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
My Choice
In my job, I’m faced with making more choices in a day than most people make in a year. Sure, they don’t all involve life or death, but some might. Making a choice isn’t really the problem, knowing if it’s the right choice is. I might diagnose a situation, examine all the variables, and make a logical decision based on the facts. Unfortunately, logic isn’t always the right answer.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
Revival 5
Aaron took his time examining the cathedral exterior, its grounds, and the men standing guard at the entrance. He recognized several of them from their encounter earlier in the day. They were members of the Deacons, enforcers for this strange religion. He was unimpressed with the lack of training they exhibited during their first encounter. These clowns were just a group of neighborhood bullies, acting as though they controlled the world. If they didn’t have guns, Aaron was confident he could easily take them out.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Chapters
Revival Part 4
Jane wasn’t sure whether she should be just as terrified of Aaron as she was of the five deacons who had tried to capture her. She had never seen anyone react with the speed and force that Aaron had displayed. He must have had that large knife on him from the time they met but she never saw it until it was on the lead deacon’s throat. This was twice this mysterious man had saved her from certain death and she knew very little about him. She needed answers but didn’t know how to go about asking the right questions.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Chapters
Revival. Top Story - August 2024.
Blustery winds buffeted the canvas walls of the little tent causing them to make a cracking sound so loud it woke Aaron and Jane from a deep sleep. While the two were resting the cold weather had coaxed the companions into unconsciously cuddling to stay warm. Now they were awake, both scurried to the opposite sides of the tent, each looking a little embarrassed. Aaron was the first to leave the tent to empty his bladder and start a fire. Jane, still looking a little uncomfortable from her close encounter, left the camp for a short time but returned a little later with some wood for the campfire.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Chapters
Revival
Aaron walked until the setting sun made it too dangerous to carry on. His skid was becoming harder to drag along behind him because the snowpack was melting into rivulets of ice water. He decided that tomorrow he would leave his trusty sled, along with a portion of his supplies, behind. What items he would take and what would be left behind should have been foremost on his mind, but it wasn’t.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Chapters
Revival
Aaron lay on his cot, in the last dry corner of the cabin, wrapped in a couple of threadbare blankets and an old bear skin trying to escape the cold. He listened to the plunk, plunk, plunk sound that each drop of water made as it dripped from the leaking ceiling into buckets scattered around the dilapidated one-room shack he called home. He collected water from melting snow on the roof to use for cooking and drinking. The fire had died while he was sleeping, and just the thought of exposing himself to the cold cabin air sent shivers up his spine. Wind whistled between the rough-hewn planks that served as walls.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Chapters
Masquerade Party. Top Story - July 2024.
At six feet seven inches tall and approximately two hundred fifty pounds, Samael presented an imposing figure when he walked into a room. His physical stature may be impressive, but his demeanor is the opposite. The shy, some might say, reclusive personality that he developed as a young boy followed him into manhood. His favorite job was crunching numbers in a quiet one man back office of a fiduciary firm. He was always polite, greeting his fellow workers with a “good morning” or “good afternoon” as he walked to the back of the office where his little hideaway was located, but never tried to engage in conversations.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Horror
Chaos-Opportunity or Both
The world Lucca had grown up in was no more. The change was as gradual as his transformation from a young boy to a man. There was limited chaos during his formative years, at least none that his parents couldn’t protect him from. Lucca remained shielded from the daily struggles of keeping a job, paying monthly rent, and buying groceries. Occasionally, he would overhear his parents discussing situations that bothered them, but as long as he got to play with his friends and eat when he was hungry, none of it mattered. War and politics were things adults dealt with, not five-year-olds.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
