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 (457)
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When it Stops. Top Story - October 2024.
“This deluge can’t last much longer. What do you think?” “I have no idea. If you had asked me that question two days ago, I would have said, absolutely not. We’ll be back out on the trail in an hour or so, but now Jack, I haven’t got a clue.”
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
Vocal’s Lost Communities Revisited
(Apologies for the way the chart looks. When I posted it all the columns were lined up and it all made sense. For some reason my computer and Vocals computer don't want to co-operate and everything is scrambled. It was legible once.)
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Journal
This Weeks Rule
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. At least that was this week’s rule. Last week the rule was: only eat the red berries and the rule the week before was only walk on the even numbered side of the corridor. Every week our masters devised a new rule for us to follow and a new punishment to be administered if the latest rule was broken. Just to keep life as confusing as possible various old rules were randomly discarded only to be reinstated at a future time. There was only one rule that the master’s would never cancel. Under penalty of excruciating torture and death would anyone be allowed to open the door at the far end of the galley way.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Horror
Our Only Date
There was only one rule: Don’t open the door. Once my brain slowly returned to fully functioning and my eyes were able to focus, that sign was the first thing I saw. Pulling myself into a standing position while stuffed in this dimly lit coffin-size room was a challenge. Next, I need to find what is causing the continuous swish-swish-swish sound emanating from somewhere above my head. Last, but not least, finding out how the hell I got here.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Horror
Lesson Learned
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. The rule is posted on the door in big bold letters. Of course, instead of scaring everyone, it had the opposite effect on curious children. There was one child braver, or more reckless than all the others. He was the one that Marlon, as leader of the commune, had to find a way to make him understand what was at stake. Scolding didn’t work, making him stand in the corner was ineffective, even a swift kick in the butt was only a temporary fix. Within the next day he was poking around the door latch again. As a last resort, Marlon decided to try logic.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Horror
Solve the Unsolvable
The river ran backwards on the day the queen vanished. Not just one river, but every river of information needed to flow in reverse. As head of intelligence, I had access to multiple rivers of information and right now they all needed to flow to the same location, the Queen. My team and I had to work backwards, scouring every potential piece of evidence hoping to find our Queen. Without her at the helm the country would fall into chaos. Only Queen Tyce possessed magic powerful enough to control her evil brother Lord Erebus. Her sudden disappearance must be connected to the dark lord. I just needed to discover the link that would prove his involvement.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
We Hate Halloween
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. It’s only for one night of the year. “There is no reason we can’t control our urges for one freaking night, right folks. We have 364 nights to reign terror on the world, but not tonight. Tonight, we must remain calm and no matter what happens or who comes knocking, that door stays closed. Understood, everyone?”
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
Rules Ain’t for Me
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. It was a simple rule, clear and easy to understand. Everyone involved in the experiment was told what the rule was. What they weren’t told is what would happen if anyone opened the door. Why would anyone need to be told about the consequences opening the door would bring? Everyone involved was an adult. They all volunteered to participate in the research and were being paid well for their time. All that was required was follow the rule and keep the door shut.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
To My Headless Stalker
Dear Headless Horseman, I have decided to write you this letter because every time we get within speaking distance you try and cut off my head. I know that the jack-o-lantern you carry with you as a replacement for your missing head has no functioning eyes so maybe you can talk one of your undead friends with working eyes to read it to you. This is my last attempt at a peaceful resolution, so I hope it works.
By Mark Gagnonabout a year ago in Fiction
