Red Bluff: An Anthology of the Human Condition

By Joe Burger

This anthology includes six tales that muse on the human condition.

A FATHER'S DUTY is a flash story of an encounter between the school principal and his father that surprises him. STRENGTH is the story one young man's encounter with a friend during a moment of emotional fatigue after a wrestling match. COLORS OF LIFE explores the pain of loss as a mother and daughter try to deal with the aftermath of their husband and father's death.

The tone lightens up in PUNISHMENT, where we follow a humourous reimagining of the Greek gods as mobsters in the modern world. THE PATH AHEAD is a fantasy tale that follows the young Dwarf prince, Obsidian on his path to discover who he is and to take his destiny into his own hands. RED BLUFF is a science fiction post apocalyptic western. A young boy speaks with the caged Deputy Joe after the battle of Red Bluff on E2, Humanity's new home. When Earth's remaining forces show up after nearly a hundred years of radio silence, seeking to force their rule on the new frontier, the people of Thatcher's Point decide to take a stand for their new way of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joe Burger
• Release date: Sep 25, 2016

Joe Burger

Joe Burger is a fantasy writer who focuses on young adult fiction. He has been involved in creative writing since grade school, has taken creative writing classes in high school, and is majoring in Creative Writing for his Bachelor of the Fine Arts. Joe is an empathetic soul who often experiences emotional distress at the predicaments he places his characters in, having been known to tear up when he kills of a character or while writing a particularly emotional scene. Other than writing, Joe enjoys martial arts, table-top roleplaying, and grooming his beard. No, seriously, he spends way too much time playing with his beard in the mirror.

Book preview

Red Bluff: An Anthology of the Human Condition

By Joseph Burger

Red Bluff: An Anthology of the Human Condition

Published by Joseph Burger at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Joseph Burger

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

A Father’s Duty

Strength

Colors of Life

Punishment

The Path Ahead

Red Bluff

About the Author

A Father’s Duty

I elbowed the bully in the nose and he crumpled to the ground. His friend stepped back, jaw agape. They had tried to jump me in the middle of our grade-school hallway and failed. I wound up in the principal’s office, though. A teacher had seen me strike the kid, but hadn’t seen his arms around my waist, or his friend’s fist drawn back to punch me.

My father argued with the principle.

My son has every right to defend himself, my father said. I raised him that way. He’s complained about these boys before and nothing’s been done. Well, he did it himself. I’m not going to punish him.

I let out a sigh. I had been holding my breath during my father’s brief speech. Before the principal could respond, my father looked down at me and smiled.

Joe, go get your things from your locker, I’m taking you home for the day. My dad said.

I heard my father yelling at the principal some more as I left the room, but I had a smile on my face as I ran for my locker.

Strength

I wish I were like Hercules. He’s the strongest person I know. He’s also my best friend. Nobody laughs as loud, or celebrates as hard as he does. When I won my spot on varsity, earlier this year, he picked me up and ran around the matt with me on his shoulders.

It also goes without saying that he’s popular with the ladies as well. I don’t think any guy in our school wouldn’t change places with him at the drop of a hat. But for most of them, it’s okay just being around him and soaking up his good vibes.

The last week has been pretty crazy, though. Hercules and I experienced something I can’t quite explain. Maybe I can just tell you what happened, and I can understand it better than me.

It started last Saturday, the last wrestling tournament our school participates in each year. It’s a homecoming of sorts, and the tournament is also the only tournament hosted by our school all year.

For the most part, the tournament was business as usual. It had all five local teams, and it was