Scattered Shorts

By Matt Di Spirito

"Scattered Shorts" is a collection of eleven short stories; there is something for everyone! A few kids' tales for the younglings, a tale of teenage angst, a touch of suspense, a sports story or two, and a piece of historical fiction for good measure.

Here are the stories in this collection:

WAKE: When a man wakes up amid burning ruins, grief threatens to consume him.

CAUGHT: Young Palonius, son of the Baron, might have ventured too far from home.

SOUNDS OF THUNDER: In a place like Vietnam, death can come in an instant.

CRUSHED PEPPER: Danny will do anything for a date with Jenna, but she doesn't seem to notice.

FIREHAIR: When patriots defend their land, there's always a heavy price.

THE HUNT: Two predators stalk one another in the frozen night.

STRANDED: The city is in chaos as Randy and Chris set off to find their parents.

LOST LAUNDRY: Monique is determined to discover the source of all the missing socks.

HOMER: Baseballs aren't the only thing getting slugged on this field.

OUR GAME: Football is a game of emotion, but a young star's ego might outweigh his passion.

STEAM: In the midst of Civil War, a man leads a group of slaves to hopes of freedom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matt Di Spirito
• Release date: Apr 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458026545

Matt Di Spirito

Well, I'm just an average joe. I don't have a great career or do anything that contributes to society in a meaningful way. I go to work, pay my bills, and raise my family.Life is an interesting journey. I've spent time in the military; it wasn't my cup of tea, but it was a worthwhile experience. I went to college for a few years, acquiring the credits for an Associates' degree in General Studies. There weren't too many subjects I didn't take. That's my life story: experience. I'm interested in so many things, it can be hard to focus on one thing for too long.My myriad hobbies include writing stories, reading books and e-books, surfing the web, watching blu-ray movies, drawing, discussing philosophy or religion or politics, playing xbox games, dungeons and dragons, and probably a few more. If only I could figure out how to make money off of hobbies!Writing is a hobby I've enjoyed since I became literate. Notebooks went hand-in-hand with computers. I used to write down little stories about my action figures, scenarios about school mates, and anything else to cross my mind. I used to make up games for my friends to play, and roll dice to find out who would win. Creativity, imagination, and technology are intertwined--at least to me.Smashwords, Amazon's createspace, and kindle publishing opened the door for self-publishing, especially for authors--like myself--with little or no start-up capital. For all the woes of technology, there are some wonders to be had.

Book preview

SCATTERED SHORTS

A Collection of Stories

by

Matt Di Spirito

© 2011 Matt Di Spirito

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without the consent of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, places, or events is coincidental.

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

CONTENTS

Wake

When a man wakes up amid burning ruins, grief threatens to consume him.

Caught

Young Palonius, son of the Baron, might have ventured too far from home.

Sounds of Thunder

In a place like Vietnam, death can come in an instant.

Crushed Pepper

Danny will do anything for a date with Jenna, but she doesn't seem to notice.

Firehair

When patriots defend their land, there's always a heavy price.

The Hunt

Two predators stalk one another in the frozen night.

Stranded

The city is in chaos as Randy and Chris set off to find their parents.

Lost Laundry

Monique is determined to discover the source of all the missing socks.

Homer

Baseballs aren't the only thing getting slugged on this field.

Our Game

Football is a game of emotion, but a young star's ego might outweigh his passion.

Steam

In the midst of Civil War, a man leads a group of slaves to hopes of freedom.

Author's Note

WAKE

Iron and salt mingled and washed over his palette, tempting the gag reflex. Inky black swam across his eyes, denying revelation to the burden that pinned him against the earth. The scent of burning timber and charred meat seemed to cling to his body, hair, and the weight pressing down. Silence surrounded him: no dogs barking, no children bickering - only the immobilizing mass seizing his form.

Oh, Lord, his mind started, I’m dead! This is hell! I’m burning and denied an escape – Oh, Lord, please, no! The revulsion jerked his body into action, and the unseen press seemed to shift with each movement. Rolling onto one side, he freed a throbbing hand, burning from an invisible wound, and prodded the dark shapes all around. Oh, God, his thoughts popped, that feels like hair… and that’s… Oh, God, it’s a hand! With suddenly explosive energy he raked a way out, emerging from the half-scorched pile of corpses.

Smoldering embers, like firefly seeds scattered across silent earth, winked at him from the remains. The village, all of it, lay in ash and twinkling bits of wooden frames. The ominous stars offered no explanation, observing in mute mercilessness as his bloody and ragged form shambled out from a mound of bodies. Small trinkets and decapitated dolls’ heads drew his attention, as eyes too dry to cry flitted around the nightmarish landscape. Through sights of painful death, sounds of permanence, and smells of feral consequence, he staggered and swooned, and the contents of his