Short Story Archives - James Kirst Short Story and Novel Blog

Hiatus

Posted on December 14, 2019December 14, 2019 by jkirst

Hello all. I am taking a hiatus from short-story writing to work on what I hope to be a series of novels as well as the promotion of the two novels I have written and I am hoping to get a third novel in the publishing phase soon. I may post periodically here or there but it will probably be inconsistent and if I do post, the story will probably be very short.

I’d like to ask while you wait to check out all of my short stories by pressing “short story” tag below or clicking this(short story) link or this(genre and tags) link or this(story list) link. I would also urge you to share this story with others and comment below. Please check out my books page as well by pressing here. Magic Once Removed will be available soon, so please check out the FAQ. Thank you for your patience and all the support you have given me throughout the year.

Short Story Saturday: Maiden on a Slab

Posted on December 7, 2019August 26, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Maiden on a Slab. Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

His torch represented many things. Illumination. Warmth. Comfort. It also represented a potential disaster of biblical proportions. The ancient parchment he held in his free hand was as dry as British wit and a single spark would cause it to go aflame which would leave the man lost, potentially for good. in that forgotten, dank, dark labyrinth. It did not help his psyche that there were times he had to hold the blistering orange flame perilously close to the map to see its intricacies and read its ancient inscriptions that detailed how to get by the perilous puzzles that loomed.

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Short Story Saturday: Kamikaze

Posted on November 23, 2019September 2, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Kamikaze. Please enjoy. Sorry about the late post. Technically, I’ve posted the story on Saturday but I realize it is pretty late compared to when I typically publish my stories. Additionally, this one might be a little bit rough so please forgive any grammatical mistakes or missing words. Think of this as a rough draft.

Anyway, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

“They call it a kamikaze because it’s the drink they’d give the Japanese Zeros before they had to crash land into US aircraft carriers,” the bartender explained as he plopped the equal parts vodka, triple sec, and lime juice concoction in front of the three coeds.

“Really?” the blonde asked.

“Nah, don’t think so. Just made it up.”

“It was believable though,” said the brunette with freckles, “Sure had me going.”

“You should always check the facts whenever someone says something that doesn’t sound right.”

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Short Story Saturday: Are You Happy

Posted on November 16, 2019August 21, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Are you Happy? Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

“Are you happy?” A loaded question to be sure and one that is often asked by my parents.

It started when I was a child. My parents were always concerned about my mental wellbeing but could never properly discern why or provide an adequate explanation other than to declare a generalized fear most parents have for their children. They did seem at times inordinately concerned for reasons I cannot quite comprehend.

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Short Story Saturday: Scarlett Hood

Posted on November 2, 2019August 25, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Scarlett Hood. Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

Her red hood covered her short jet black hair as it blew gently in the spring breeze as Scarlett traipsed through the woods. As she carried a beige picnic basket underneath her right arm, her flat jet black boots made large imprints into the dirt trail just was enough that five of her could have walked shoulder-to-shoulder together which meant two normal-sized men could occupy that same trail.

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Short Story Saturday: Gregory Sole

Posted on October 26, 2019October 3, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Gregory Sole. Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

The sounds of a metal bell echoed from the decrepit church tower throughout the old rustic town. “Darn,” the man thought to himself. “Eleven o’clock already. I’ve got to hurry.”

Mud covered his black dress pants and white button-up shirt he had ironed just that morning as he sprinted through the center of town on the previously dirt road. His heavy and clumsy steps made it increasingly difficult for him to move his legs rapidly as he struggled to pry each foot loose while maintaining a consistent stride.

All that could be heard were the sloshing of his boots, his heavy breathing, and his bag that was tied over his shoulder that collided with his side and back. He prayed that the bottles withing that clanged in his bag would not break. The glass was relatively thick but a particularly solid collision would cause them to shatter. Periodically, he checked his vest pocket to ensure the contents within remained in place.

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Short Story Saturday: Free

Posted on October 19, 2019September 2, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Free. Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

His long flowing locks danced in the ocean breeze. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and faced the sun. The man looked over the edge of the cliff, eyes transfixed on the raging waters below.

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Short Story Saturday: Thane Drapetevo

Posted on October 12, 2019September 2, 2020 by jkirst

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Thane Drapetevo. Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

He took off his gloves and wiped his hands against his vest. It was unseasonably warm which made it a bit uncomfortable for him up there. Certainly, his dapper suit was not conducive to the heat but it allowed him to blend in, more or less, with the other guests at the business conference he was attending under a pseudonym, though that is not to say it was atypical of his usual garb. He remembered the conference’s theme being mergers or some rot though it wasn’t as though he was particularly focused on the event.

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Short Story Saturday: Serve and Protect

Posted on October 5, 2019September 2, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Serve and Protect. Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

The officer pounded the white door. There was quite the lover’s tiff, to say the least, brewing inside. While the verbal barrage the two were exchanging was concerning he could have ignored it and continued his usual beat had that been it. However, when he heard the loud crash and a bang followed by some screams, he had to check it out.

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Short Story Saturday: Mountain of Despair

Posted on September 28, 2019August 28, 2020 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Mountain of Despair. Please enjoy. Also, if you haven’t already checked out my FAQ on my upcoming book, Magic Once Removed, please check that out as well. Thanks again!

“Don’t tell me you’ve never done anything stupid, Dad,” Jennifer said, shivering in a foot of snow. “I’ve read your high school yearbook.”

“I can honestly say I’ve never summoned Satan.”

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