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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Compassion for Who
Orson worked as a contract coder for multiple medical software companies. Freelancing let him make his own hours, live where he wanted, and be his own boss. He avoided petty office politics and usually made more than the 9-5ers. The downside was there were no benefits. Medical and life insurance, along with retirement plans, were his responsibility. It seemed a fair trade for his freedom.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Psyche
Just Let It Go
The stress has driven me to my breaking point. I’ve done my best to maintain my inner strength throughout the years, but enough is enough. Even the strongest of us max out eventually and I’m no exception. Of course I didn’t start out thinking like this.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
You're Not Getting It
The official-looking sign posted on the door read, “Safe Driving for Seniors.” In many states, the term seniors could apply to high school seniors, but not in Florida. The attendees in this room were all past retirement age and had one thing in common besides age — they had all received a ticket for unsafe driving. The instructor was in his early twenties and displayed the confidence of youth. He was given this assignment because no one more senior than him wanted to do it.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Longevity
The Gemstone Search
It wasn’t a lie, or then again, maybe it was. Could I actually be so gullible as to believe such a thing really existed when my common sense told me it was totally illogical. Perhaps if I hadn’t listened to all those stories about pirate treasures and quests for lost cities or the holy grail, I would have dismissed this story as one more bogus pipe dream. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened.
By Mark Gagnon4 months ago in Fiction
Waltzing Matilda
When I first moved to the middle of Nowhere Ville, USA, I was suspicious of everyone and every place. It didn’t matter if I were buying gas or wandering around the grocery store, all it would take was a sideways glance by a passerby, a barking dog, or a car backfiring and my guard was up. I know, I sound paranoid, but for me the term stranger danger has a personal meaning. You’d feel the same if you were enrolled in the Federal Witness Protection Program commonly known as WHITSEC.
By Mark Gagnon5 months ago in Criminal
Green Eggs
The USS Hawaii, a fast attack nuclear submarine, finished replenishing supplies at the naval base in Yokosuka, Japan. Once underway, they would prowl the Pacific in search of threats to the US and its allies for the next three months. All 15 officers and 113 enlisted personnel reported for duty; the order was given to cast off, and the ship was soon underway.
By Mark Gagnon5 months ago in Fiction
Sword of Destiny
I enjoy perusing the classified ads. People will post everything from attempting to reconnect with a long-lost love to selling a pair of slightly used shoes. There really is something for everyone. Since I’m new to town, checking out the classifieds gives me some insight into the people who live here.
By Mark Gagnon5 months ago in Horror
Get Out of My Head. Top Story - August 2025.
When I first heard it I was mesmerized. Maybe it was the backbeat that captured my brain or possibly the syncopated rhythm that snaked its way into my every thought. The melody was definitely captivating. Whatever the reason, I was ensnared in its clutches, and the song had no intentions of letting me go.
By Mark Gagnon5 months ago in Fiction
Time in a Box
One of my favorite pastimes is rummaging around antique shops in search of that one special treasure that everyone else has passed by. I was taking a tour of famous historic battle sites and had stopped in Hastings, England. I wandered into a dilapidated, overstuffed shop with an intriguing sign in the window that read, “Lost Things Found Here”. It was just my kind of shop.
By Mark Gagnon5 months ago in Fiction
Lifes Ups and Downs
Alan left the sixth-floor law offices of Swindell and Shyster and walked to the elevator at the end of the long empty hallway. It was late and all the other offices on the floor were already locked for the weekend. He and his now ex-wife, Maggie, had spent the last three hours hammering out the last details of a very contentious divorce. By leaving first, Alan would avoid riding in an elevator with the woman who had just tried to take everything he possessed—both now and in the future.
By Mark Gagnon5 months ago in Humans
Something Very Fishy
Doris would tell her friends whenever they asked how she was doing, “I have four loves in my life: Harold, may he rest in peace; Kathy, my beautiful daughter; this solarium; and my saltwater aquarium. I miss Harold, but I still have the other three, so I’m doing just fine." She was content with where life had placed her, and at seventy-six, contentment was really all she could ask for.
By Mark Gagnon5 months ago in Fiction
