Category Archives: Short Stories

There was a time when I went through a rough stretch at work. As a social worker it was clear to me that carrying this kind of burden would last just so long and I’d start to pay a heavy price. I decided I needed a program of “self-medication” to treat my stress, not with drugs or substances, but with what I thought would lead me into an inner realm where a healing process could be touched. Writing and photography were those two areas.

Writing was something that came easily to me. It was a big part of my role as a social worker in my reports and client summaries. As an introvert I was comfortable setting words to paper, more so than reporting verbally where the risk was ever present of being caught in that socially awkward situation of going blank out of fear.

My writing became half of my self-medicating regimen. It involved writing short stories , usually only 3-4 typed pages in length, depicting the battle of the forces of light vs. those of darkness. The protagonist was usually young, 8-12 years of age, often a young girl, accompanied by a guide from the spirit world. The villains were modeled after three executives I was acquainted with who fit the bill of villainy. Together the protagonist and her spirit guide fought and vanquished the forces of darkness. This part of my “self-medicating treatment” resulted in 45 short stories.

The Curse of Yho-Hi-Teq: The Final Front Tier

Posted on November 2, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

The sun rose amid gathering storm clouds, and the Ottokurss dig team hurried to protect the exposed viewing tables near the grand pyramid. Tori Jessica Powell had set this as the optimum site for displaying artifacts during the process of … Continue reading →

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The Curse of Yho-Hi-Teq: Part III

Posted on October 15, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

As lead archeologist and head of the team for the Jherq-Ah-Yem III excavation site, Tori Jessica Powell’s continuing fascination focused on the political significance of the actions of one lowly slave standing in defiance of the ancient and powerful ruler. … Continue reading →

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The Curse of Yho-Hi-Teq: Part II

Posted on October 4, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

New Year’s Eve, December 1938. Across the globe there are growing rumors of war. Europe is in unrest, the Mediterranean area, a sea of turmoil. In the wide Ottokurss Valley on the Upper Nile, it is another world, eons away, … Continue reading →

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The Curse of Yho-Hi-Teq

Posted on September 23, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

Tori Jessica Powell had fooled them all – she had graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California in Berkeley, the highest ranked in her class. She had earned the begrudging praise and commendations from leading archaeologists around the … Continue reading →

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Two If by Sea…

Posted on September 22, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

  Sandi listened to the waves lap the shore as she walked down the beach, the morning sun to her back. Last night had been a little cooler, the harbinger of the coming fall, but it was still warm enough … Continue reading →

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Dreamscape

Posted on August 22, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

Julie lay under a light cotton sheet watching the shadows dance across the ceiling of her room. The candle in its holder sat on the nightstand, and a slight breeze coming in through the open window caused the flame to … Continue reading →

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The Whispering Sands of Kalakoum

Posted on August 6, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

Anne watched the grains of sand slip through the pinched waist of the hourglass, as the daylight hours edged toward evening. It was still light out, but night was coming on, and crickets were tuning up their bodies in anticipation … Continue reading →

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Fall Of the House of ThunderBane

Posted on June 28, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

A light snow blanketed the hillsides across the deep valley, as glaciers graced the ancient and high ridges beyond. A full midnight moon shone over the land, casting a silvery blue over all the Realm. The night was still, with … Continue reading →

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Ghost Riders of the Mist

Posted on June 18, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

Jason sat under the swinging sign in front of the old hotel. Colleen had gone back inside to the gift shop to buy a postcard for her mom, and because of the stifling heat Jason had elected to wait outside. … Continue reading →

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Snakes and Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails

Posted on June 12, 2016 by journeysofabentmind

Allyson was a precocious seven-year-old, innocent as a newborn but a soul older than the granite in the hillside behind her grandfather’s house. Her eyes were deep pools that lit up at the thought of journeys to ancient or exotic … Continue reading →

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