I Wander Away

By Michael Shawn Sommermeyer

What do you do when your world is suddenly erased? In Plato's Bougainvillea Vine a young couple faces this new reality and rather than shrink in horror, they do something about it. In A Moment of Pure Truth, a litigator learns there is more to life than listening to petty problems and it takes a magical tree to set him on the right path. A thief keeps a police detective on his toes as she goes about stealing a prized diamond. Or did she just become the detective? These stories, plus the problem with cell towers awaits the reader in this collection of short stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Shawn Sommermeyer
• Release date: Apr 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781717138354

Michael Shawn Sommermeyer

Michael Shawn Sommermeyer writes fast fiction, observations, poetry, mysteries, fantasies, and science fiction. He focuses on oddities, unbelievable facts, strange phenomenon, discoveries, and the people who wander uneven worlds. He ponders the dreams of mythmakers and explores what the every person dreams about.

Book preview

For Mrs. Bedwell

Iam sure she really meant no harm when she said, You will never be a writer.

The shock of the statement caused me to burn inside. I ached to prove her wrong. She apparently failed to understand my punctuation and short sentences or my fascination with Tyburn poems.

Rat-a-tat-tat, she would write on my papers.

Less poetry, more exposition, she scrawled in big red letters.

Rhyming

Timing

Quaffing

Imbibing

Rhyming, Timing,

Spontaneity

Rebuffed as Quaffing, Imbibing, 

Wastefulness.

Who knows if I am the writer Mrs. Bedwell envisioned. It doesn't matter.

I am the writer I want to be.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Ray Bradbury came to my high school and spent less than five minutes telling students to write every day. Eventually, you will write at least one good piece of writing.

Thank you for the advice.

Plato’s Bougainville Vine

Merrily and cheerfully , Benedict woke from his night's sleep and rolled over to silence the alarm. The time a precise 6 o'clock. The window blind remained down, and no light streamed from underneath. The dark winter night refused to let any light in. Benedict rolled under the comforter and went about waking Alice.

He softly patted her ears with his nose and kissed her cheek. She stirred slowly and smiled.

Another lovely morning dear, she cooed.

As good as the last, Benedict said.

He reached underneath and tickled the soft skin under her knee. She laughed and pushed him away. She attempted to smooth his scrabble of beard and placed a hand under his chin.

I think you should run to the shower, she said.

He tried to grab her knee again, but she was too quick and jumped out of bed. She turned on the hot water, slammed the shower door, and ran to the toilet. He stood outside waiting his turn. Done, she squirmed past and avoided a kiss. He laughed and followed her.

Quickly, both were naked with the water swirling past their bodies.

Benedict picked up the loofah and soap. He started lathering up the suds and soon was bathing her shapely breasts. She was perfect. Smart, a great figure, and sweet. He had hit the jackpot. With the soap covering her wet chest, Benedict reached down and attempted to kiss her breast.

Not today. We're late for work, Alice said. The clock on her dresser let her know 19 minutes were gone. We have got to go.

She rinsed the rest of the soap and turned off the water leaving Benedict without a shave.

Sorry.

Alice turned on the water again as she bounced out. The shower door slammed, and she left him to finish his face.

Benedict parted his hair and reached for his pressed, white, dress shirt. He then put on his navy khakis. He pulled an errant hair in place and stood before the mirror. He presented himself as a successful young career man. He smiled back at the picture of himself.

Alice dabbed atop an eye and sat at the mirror half ready. She still needed to find her