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 (450)
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It's None of Your Business
Judging by my limited view of the sun through my cell’s skylight, it must be close to suppertime. Some days I can see the rich blue cloudless sky, other days my room emulates the grayness of the outside world. I’ve been in this cell without a trial for days, weeks, months? I’m not sure. Every day is the same as the one before. Except for when my meals are slid to me through a pass-through door, I am devoid of human contact. As far as I can tell, the only people living in this South Texas town is me and the jailer.
By Mark Gagnon3 months ago in Journal
Carriage Ride to Jail
Walter’s outgoing personality instantly puts everyone he meets in a relaxed, open state of mind. This is important because, as a carriage driver in New York City, his primary function, besides controlling a rather docile horse, is to put all his customers in a good mood. The passengers are normally from out of town. No local would pay $35.00 for a half hour buggy ride. “Fuhgeddaboudit!” The happier the customer, the bigger the tip and the more they would talk about their plans. Plans Walter would covertly record on his phone.
By Mark Gagnon3 months ago in Fiction
Perseverance
Living in the year 1819 meant only one thing for a large segment of the population—poverty and despair. There were no government subsistence programs, unemployment checks, or homeless shelters. During this time in our history, the country was in the middle of a severe depression and everyone had to fend for themselves. It was certainly not a good time to be a ten-year-old boy abandoned by his parents and living in the streets of Boston. That, however, was the situation young Raymond was in. Added to his problems was that he was born with a club foot.
By Mark Gagnon3 months ago in History
Hero
I’ve never thought of myself as a hero, and why would I. The few times I’ve managed to help someone out of a jam wasn’t me being heroic, rather it was me being a good neighbor. I never rushed into a burning building to rescue a neighbor’s cat, or dove into raging surf to save someone from drowning. No, usually most of my heroic deeds have consisted of giving a stranded motorist a ride to the gas station so he or she could fill up a five gallon can of gas, or deliver a package to my neighbor because an Amazon driver dropped it off at my door by mistake.
By Mark Gagnon3 months ago in Criminal
I’ve Had Enough
“Okay, Alice enough is enough. You asked me to do you a favor and hide in this closet until this Wonderland thing blew over. Well, it’s been five years, and I want out. I wasn’t a skeleton when you locked me in, but I am now. You must know that we skeletons never stay hidden forever.
By Mark Gagnon3 months ago in Fiction
People Stink
Humans stink. If you have to spend time in an enclosed area with people who haven’t washed for four or five days in a row, you can confirm this statement for yourself. Maybe that’s why most other animals have a keener sense of smell than we do. They know where coming long before we reach their location because of our unpleasant odor. Hence the reason soap was invented. Also, soap is the reason Dennis became the richest man on the planet.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Humans
Governments Best Friends. Top Story - September 2025.
We've all seen them, perched on high wires or rooftops, staring at the world below. Crows congregate in small groups, and when one departs the murder, another quickly takes its place. Have you ever asked yourself what they are looking for and who they are reporting their observations to?
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
What We Once Were
Was it the sprawling maple tree she sat under, her captivating physique, or those mesmerizing eyes that drew me into my oblivion. I may never know the answer to that question. What I do know is that by closing my eyes for what I had hoped would be the kiss of a lifetime unexpectedly transformed me into the monster I am today.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Horror
It Only Took One
Was it the sprawling maple tree, her captivating physique, or those mesmerizing eyes that drew me into my oblivion. I may never know the answer to that question. What I do know is that as I closed my eyes for what I had hoped to be the kiss of a lifetime unexpectedly transformed me into the monster I am today.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
Bogus Sayings
When I was young I would hear the older kids and even some adults quote these bizarre sayings, and I would think they were true. Step on a crack and break your mother’s back. Break a mirror and it’s seven years bad luck. Don’t walk under a ladder or it will bring bad luck. Then of course there is the saying, lightning never strikes the same place twice.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Journal
