From Waste to Waste

By Marshall Norman McCarthy

A Gunfighter finds himself going head to head with a dragon in the Wasteland. Two modern day sorceresses discover the price for wasting love. A priest and a demon discuss wasted faith. A young man wastes the truth about the disappearance of his brother. A wannabe rock-star wastes his foresight in an encounter with a man from Mars. After God is declared dead, a man wastes a trip to church. Business partners struggle to make a living in the Wasteland. A hunter finds something too good to waste. A protector's trust is wasted on a cowardly lover. And a man at the end of the world wastes his life for an old, childhood dream.

From Waste to Waste the sparks of hope flicker where they should sputter and die, defiant to the last; yet in the core of even stalwart hearts Waste lies in wait.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marshall Norman McCarthy
• Release date: Mar 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310903229

Marshall Norman McCarthy

Other folk that I knew dreamed of fast cars, big houses, or supermodels; I dreamed of dragons, dark goddesses, and blood stained heroes. It took me a long time before I realized that writing fiction was the way to reconcile those dreams (unless, of course, anyone knows of a dragon ranch nearby).Currently, I'm a retail worker, married to a wonderfully understanding and patient woman who's support may be my greatest asset.

Book preview

From Waste to Waste

By Marshall Norman McCarthy

Published by Marshall Norman McCarthy at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Marshall Norman McCarthy

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover Design by emokidnap. Find more of her work at: http://emokidnap.deviantart.com/

Introduction

From Waste to Waste the sparks of hope flicker where they should sputter and die, defiant to the last; yet in the core of even stalwart hearts Waste lies in wait.

These ten stories each in one fashion or another touch upon the theme of Waste; some are purely thematic, while others read more heavy-handed.

I hope that you, Reader, find something within these digital pages to entertain and maybe - just maybe - find something a little deeper.

I leave the judgement up to you.

Table of Contents

One Last Salue

Five Steps from Home

Goodbye Ronnie

The Storm, Wall

The Man Who (Unwittingly) Sold the World

‘For My Own Sake’

In Search of Payday

A Happy Burden

Tragedy in Mr. Dead’s Wood

The Danger of Following Dreams

Afterword

One Last Salue

A Story of Battle out in the Waste

Bates knew by the way she walked - hips sashaying and eyes hunting - that trouble followed the woman in the black gown. From the bar, neat-whiskey tilted in his hand, he watched her pass by the other louts filling the tables and chairs in Buntin’s Refuge. Her face was rigid in confidence, but he noticed how she clutched her handbag as if it was her lifeline.

To his surprise – and grinning delight – the woman in black sidled up to the bar, beside him and ordered a drink.

‘Rum, spiced and on the rocks. And another rye, for my friend.’ Without looking, she waved to Bates.

Smirking, he downed the last of his drink and slid the cup back to the old barkeep. ‘Much obliged, Miss?’

‘Evelyn,’ she glanced at him and Bates was warned by azure eyes.

'Evelyn?'

Those eyes narrowed on him and the warning deepened. 'Really?' she turned to her drink, sipped it with delicate purpose. 'I was told you were an old hand at this; you should know that names have power.'

‘Well, thank you all the same, Evelyn,’ he winked. ‘Curious though, how’d you know that I was drinking rye, and not that southern garbage?’

Her mousey face turned to him and she considered him pointedly. ‘Never mind that,’ she countered, glancing around the roadhouse. ‘I’m told you can handle a pistol.’

He was intrigued now. ‘Got a problem?’

‘Many,’ she sipped at her drink, thinking. ‘Unfortunately only one that can be settled with a bullet. But,’ she took another