The Darkness And The Shell

The darkness was descending. It was not there yet, but it was descending. The man knew that it was coming, he just didn’t know when. It always came, eventually. Sometimes he could feel it descending slowly. Other times it descended quickly. His wife understood and he was thankful for that. She called it “crawling back into the shell,” and said… Read moreThe Darkness And The Shell

A Covert Operation | Part One

It was a warm April afternoon.  There were four of us, Billy, Bubba-Bubba, Brain and myself playing baseball in Billy’s back yard.  Bubba-Bubba was called that because it was what his baby brother called him. Brain got his name on the first day of school in the third grade.  His real name, Brian, was misspelled on the roll.  The teacher… Read moreA Covert Operation | Part One

A Covert Operation | Part Two

“Look up there at that patio,” said Bubba-Bubba.  The Old Bastard’s patio was a brick and concrete extension of the back of the house.  Three brick pillars supported it across the front, three on each side and three across the back.  The pillars extended above the patio, with wrought iron railings between each one.  Concrete steps ran down the left… Read moreA Covert Operation | Part Two

A Covert Operation | Part Three

We crossed Billy’s back yard and sat against the fence behind the big tree with the basketball goal.  Billy’s American Bulldog Socko had joined us walking through Billy’s yard.  He was the neighborhood dog.  Socko looked mean, but was completely gentle, never barked and didn’t bite.  The only problem was that he had a propensity to chase cars.  One day… Read moreA Covert Operation | Part Three