Mark Gagnon
Bio
I have spent most of my life traveling the US and abroad. Now it's time to create what I hope are interesting fictional stories.
I have 2 books on Amazon, Mitigating Circumstances and Short Stories for Open Minds.
Stories (294/0)
- Top Story - May 2024
I AMTop Story - May 2024
This is not who I thought I would be. Before my family was captured and forced into slavery, I had aspirations of becoming a wealthy business owner or possibly a scholar and philosopher. Becoming a warrior was the furthest thing from my mind. Unfortunately, our Roman conquerors had other plans.
By Mark Gagnona day ago in Fiction
Deadline
Strange what runs through my mind when the pressure is on. I should be thinking about how many more miles I have left to go and, more importantly, how much time do I have left to get there before my world comes crashing to an end. Instead, I’m thinking about the origin of the word Deadline and how its meaning has changed over the years. I imagine many words can be traced back to their beginnings, but Deadline is particularly special to me right now.
By Mark Gagnon6 days ago in Fiction
Dangerous Mind
Five hundred years had passed since countries waged war against one another. It took centuries of conflict to reach this point in time, but once the last battle was fought and the remainder of humanity was no longer interested in killing each other, the leaders that survived examined what caused wars. After many months of extensive investigation, these wise men and women determined that exploration, in any form, especially exploration driven by curiosity, was the root cause of all conflicts. Make people remain in the location they were born in and not venture out of those borders, and war would cease to exist.
By Mark Gagnon11 days ago in Futurism
Over in a Minute
Our motor coach tour arrived in Bristol, England, around three in the afternoon. The sky was a deep blue, and the temperature had peaked at a comfortable seventy degrees Fahrenheit. From a tourist's point of view, everything about the day was picture-perfect. The city, located in the southern part of England, was resplendent with ancient and modern buildings interspersed with beautifully kept parks and public gardens. Its biggest attraction, seen from miles around, was the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It was the largest iron suspension bridge of its type when it was built, spanning the 702-foot width of the Avon Gorge. The bridge has been the scene of historic events and multiple suicides.
By Mark Gagnon16 days ago in Fiction
Shocked
It will be over in less than a minute. All you need to do is relax and don’t struggle. Your outcome has been predetermined so you might as well accept your fate. Think of it as your path to freedom and a new life. This, and so much more, is what I was told to make me feel better. Of course, I knew they were lying and so did they. Nothing, not kind words, or soothing gestures, no nothing will make me willingly accept my rendezvous with old sparky.
By Mark Gagnon20 days ago in Fiction
Shocked
It will be over in less than a minute. All you need to do is relax and don’t struggle. Your outcome has been predetermined so you might as well accept your fate. Think of it as your path to freedom and a new life. This, and so much more, is what I was told to make me feel better. Of course, I knew they were lying and so did they. Nothing, not kind words, or soothing gestures, no nothing will make me willingly accept my rendezvous with old sparky.
By Mark Gagnon20 days ago in Fiction
- Top Story - April 2024
To Con a PigTop Story - April 2024
Mo, Larry, and Curly were simple country pigs. They lived in a small town called Sty, where nothing much changed from day to day. Their homes were humble abodes constructed of straw and sticks, much like their neighbors. Every day was like the day before until it wasn’t.
By Mark Gagnon24 days ago in Fiction
LIGHTSPEED
Aaron stared past his windshield into the vastness of true nothingness. Sure, he had heard people use that term before, but he knew they had no idea what the physical part of the phrase actually looked like. No, felt like is more accurate. Neither had he until that bitch, Athena, nudged his car across the 50th parallel. He understood her rookie desire to make her mark in the interplanetary racing world, but that was no excuse for placing another racer in harm’s way. Now, while he was drifting in a seemingly endless void of timelessness, she would join his fellow racers in a moment of silence for their lost comrade, then continue with her victory celebration, and no one would be the wiser.
By Mark Gagnon28 days ago in Fiction
Pain
There are a few basic elements that connect every person on the planet. Emotions like love, hate, fear, depression, and joy are feelings every human will experience during their lives to varying degrees. A writer wouldn’t be able to create an effective love story if his or her audience had no concept of what love was. True physical pain is unlike any of the other conditions I have previously mentioned, even though every human can feel it.
By Mark Gagnonabout a month ago in Writers
Unsportsmanlike!
“This has to be a dream, and everything will return to normal once I wake up.” Of course, Aaron knew he was lying to himself, but what else did he have left? His former life felt more like a fairy tale than reality, so why couldn’t this lie be real? For the hundredth time, he would mentally revisit the events that placed him in this situation. Maybe, just maybe, an overlooked detail would emerge. Could it be that simple?
By Mark Gagnonabout a month ago in Fiction