Read My Shorts

ONE SIZE FITS ALL

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Little too lose? Not tight enough?Doesn’t matter…”One Size Fits All.”

PREACHER MAN

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hot dusty Alabama village and a hellfire preacher. What a combination.

THE JUMPER

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Angst? Anxiety? We all experience it from time to time. But thankfully not like him.

THE MULE

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Car theft. Smash-and-grabs. Child’s play when compared to international smuggling.

OLD GOLD

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever been broke? Really broke. Then you know really broke people do really desperate things.

BILLY AND BART

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Wanted: DEAD OR ALIVE. An ominous sentence hanging over one’s head. Well…’taint for some cowboys.

WARMER

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Earth Day! Want to do something to help save the planet? Well then…you came to the right place.

THE LONG GOODBYE

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some episodes are fun to write. Fun to tell. But this one…this one was hard.

FACE TIME

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

He searched for her a long time. And when he stumbled upon her…he knew she was the one.

BURNED

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Been burned lately? Really burned? Well…get ready.

DISCRIMINATION

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us have been victims of it at some time in our lives. Age Discrimination. But not like these two.

SHAWN

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Saint Paddy’s Day, y’all. Here’s an Irish tale befittin’ the occasion.

GIVE AND TAKE

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You want it to be a happy one? Your marriage? Then you better work at it.

THE NIGHTINGALE

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Unprovoked. Malicious. The Great Bear attacked. This did not have to happen.

SCAM ARTIST

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Card tricks on street corners. Nickel and dime shenanigans mostly. Finally he hit the ultimate hoax.

FIGURE SKATERS

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

They were a perfect pair. Poetry on ice. Amazing crowds with their…ummm…skills.

SUPER BOWLERS

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whoo-whoo! It’s Super Bowl week. You ready to party? These guys thought they were.

RAINMAKER

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

He promised that he could make it rain. Was it just a promise…or a threat?

THE STRIPPER

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We all have different vocations in life. Various jobs. Diverse professions. But not many of us can do what she does.

TIME

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wish you could go back in time? Relive an old memory? See an old friend? Well… so did he.

THERMOS BOTTLE

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

They work amazingly well… Thermos Bottles. Well… providing you follow the instructions.

EXTINCTION

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you dig deep enough you’ll expose ancient secrets. Perhaps some are best left undisturbed.

THE ARRANGEMENT

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We forgot how to love. How to feel. Something had to be done. Quickly.

PEANUT BUTTER SUPPER

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was someone’s birthday tonight. And that meant just one thing. They were going to have a peanut butter supper.

THE COLLECTOR

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Collectors…real collectors don’t just buy things. Or purchase. Or procure. No… not a’tall. They “acquire.”

THE STUNTMAN

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Been to a good movie lately? Ever wonder how the make EVERYTHING look so real?

THE PATRIOT

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

He was not a bad man. Misunderstood. Shunned. But he was not a bad man.

PERFECT PUMPKIN PIE

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was farmer Jones biggest cash crop every year. Five acres of Perfect Pumpkins. Pumpkin Pie Pumpkins. But this year….

BABY

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So much joy. Overwhelming happiness. Little Hannah brought so much into their lives. Perhaps too much.

THE MOVIE STAR

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Been to a good movie lately? No? Well, okay then…let’s go on the set and watch one being made.

POPULATION CONTROL

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

136 souls. Never more. Never less. The village population never decreased. But worse...never grew.

HORSESHOES

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone love the county fair. The animals. The rides. But most of all the contests to win the Grand Prize.

HIGHER FEES

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It wasn’t simply greed. It was status. He wanted more money. Actually...he needed it.

18-Wheeler

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ready for a road trip? Well, climb in. All you can do is just sit there and ride along

The Man Who Married 289 Women

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone likes a good story now an then. A wee bit of a yarn. But this one is a wee bit of a stretch.

THE PYRAMID

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Great Pyramid? HA! Pharaoh Ramses had bigger things on his mind. Perhaps too big.

TALK TO MYSELF

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You do it. I do it. We all do. But some of us...perhaps too much. Way too much.

NETFLIX

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Old movies. New movies. Horror movies. Happy movies. I love ‘em all. Especially when they’re FREE.

MY SIDE OF THE BED

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can’t sleep? Me too. But my insomnia stems from a far more serious cause.

TYRANT

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

They hated their king. Oh how they celebrated when their liberator set them free.

HOMECOMING

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Thirty-seven years was a long time to be gone. Maybe too long.

THE DUET

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Even in retirement the continued to do what they loved. Their passion. Forever together.

MOTHER

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You were not supposed to turn out like this. I tried to teach you. Oh....how I tried.

UNKNOWNS

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every tombstone on every grave...the same death date. All of them “UNKNOWN.”

THE SURVEY

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We all get ‘em. Those annoying Customer Satisfaction Surveys. Read them carefully before you hit delete.

THE NARCISSIST

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Forever young. Rock-star good looks. How long can this last?

POOL SHARKS

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

He was good. Real good. “Ain’t nobody better,” he bragged. Well... until one night...

The Confessional

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The bad things we commit. The good things we omit. We’re supposed to confess all of them. But sometimes... something gets in the way.

Breathe

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cute. Colorful. And crowded. So overcrowded...they were left gasping for air

The Tattoo

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone had one. So what the heck. He got one too. But perhaps one too many.

Lefty and Shorty

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Small-time crooks. Small-time hauls. But then... they hit the big time.

Hangman

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Black leather hoods? Heavy boots?Bare chest? Ha...Not even close.

Plane Electric

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A dreamer? Head in the clouds? Not possible? He’d show them.

Eeeek...A Mouse

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Three Star hotel. Awesome room. Ohhh...what a deal!

SWORD SWALLOWER

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lions, tigers, tightrope walkers, and sword swallowers. Sometimes circus acts really are “Death Defying.”

TUBBY

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

His nice aunts called him a “plump little child.” The mean kids at school called him Tubby. You and I would call him something else.

SHOCKER

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pavlov proved it. Training to change some behavior can be easy. But...easy for who?

Gang of Five

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Not a ball hog in the bunch. Five guys. Five spirits united. One goal.

Hole-In-One

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For most of us duffers it’s a never-in-a-lifetime event. But for him...this was crazy.

They’re Here

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Watch your back. Be careful what you say. What you do. They’re among us everywhere.

Lorraine

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Think you have marriage problems? You might want to rethink that after you hear this.

The Easter Egg Hunt

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Little kids love Easter Egg Hunts. Little kids scamper everywhere. Laughing. Giggling. Until...

Intercourse

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I’ll bet when you read that title, your little finger jumped to the “play” button. Well...not so fast.

Surfer Dude

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Perhaps he was getting a little old for this. But he was still good. Real good.

Eighty-Eight

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some black. Some white. Eighty-eight keys. It’s amazing what a maestro can do with a piano.

Escape Plan

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

True Love fills the heart and warms the soul...forever. True Love never dies.

Her Voice

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever heard a voice which, once you’ve heard it, you never forget it? Well... that was my mom’s.

Diggers

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Creeks...groans. Things that go bump in the night. All houses do that. Don’t they?

Stage Coach

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ready for a little Wild West stage coach ride. Well, climb on up. And hang on to your Stetson.

Hoedown

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

$2.7M for a fiddle? Sounds like a lot of money. But this fiddle is worth it. Maybe!

1492

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Was it one of the most important dates in history? Or one of the most tragic?

The Agent

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Being an agent is a tough job. Long hours. Late nights. Maybe 30 years was long enough.

Freed By Speed

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Speed is a good thing. Right? It allows us to get from place to place quickly. But sometimes, perhaps a little TOO quickly.

Ladies Man

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Retired widows are such needful things. And....vulnerable. He was eager to exploit both. And darn good at it.

Hide...Quick!

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We don’t have much to do down here. But whatever we do, we can’t let THEM see us.

The Christmas Angel

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Christmas...a time of joy and peace. But this year, for Santa, ummm...not so much.

Head Job

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“Don’t let your head get so big!” Ever admonish someone with that? Well...did they listen?

Some Things Never Change

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Before he was thirteen... he was hooked. A prescription drug junkie.

The Juggler

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It takes strength and coordination to be a good juggler. But more than that...it take balls.

The Song Writer

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Song writer worked through the night. Battling his demons. Wrestling his words.

The Invitation

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Turkey. Dressing. Giblet gravy. Everyone loves Thanksgiving dinner. Well...almost everyone.

Shoes

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What will future archeologists dig up when our generation is long gone? Smart phones? Pop-top cans. Or, maybe shoes?

Baloney and Whipped Cream

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

They were inseparable. Grandpa and Sarah Jean. Their love defied eternity.

The Halloweener

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blood-curdling. Dreadful. Vile. You have to be all of these if you want to win The Scariest Costume Contest.

Sam

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I always knew there was something very special about Sam. Turns out the attraction was mutual.

Remodeled Prisoner

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

He wasn’t a bad prisoner. Number 3872. He just needed a little help understanding “prison ways.”

Mike

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Irish pubs overflow with friends, laughter, and endless pints. And sometimes ...the devil himself.

Hemispheres

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a Righty or a Lefty. When it comes to your cerebral hemispheres, there’s no in between. Or...is there?

The Fish Who Wore Pants

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tropical reefs are covered with happy little fish in brilliant colors. But lurking in the depths are some not so happy. Or colorful.

The Man Who Could Fly

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wish you could fly? Howard sure did. Like our mothers always warned us, “Careful what you wish for.”

Antiquarian

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We all love to hit the antiques shops. The flea markets. Careful what you’re looking for. Don’t bump into something.

Execution

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ever have one of those cement-mixer stomachs? Churning with anxiety. Dread. Well...you don’t have a clue.

The Puzzler

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Got your thinking cap on? Listen closely. You’ve got some work to do. Everyone likes a good riddle...don’t they?

The Mask

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Standing in line to fight my way in is always frightening. And putting my mask on doesn’t make it any easier.

Aerial Attack

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was a happy little kingdom until that day when the Emperor of the North attacked. ‘Twas quick thinking that would save it.

Flight 763

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

He was being forced out of a profession that was his passion. His joy. And this morning...he was not happy.

The Boat Ride

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s taken me a lifetime to get here. I finally made it. This is one boat ride I sure as hell don’t want to miss.

The Stick

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You can never be too rich... or too thin. Or so the adage goes. Best be careful what you wish for.

Morgue-tician

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How many people are so fortunate to have a profession that, regardless of the outcome, the customer never complains? I’m going to miss that.

Holy Cow

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ramish hated his Uncle’s cows. They were stupid beasts and not worthy of his care. Perhaps he should have chosen his adversaries more carefully.