Havok Publishing

Archive - June 2020

Double Take

Any minute. I knew he would show up. I stood at the forest’s edge, sweating in the humid, late afternoon air. Even at the end of the day, the summer heat sweltered.
A shadow moved among the trees. Finally! My proof.
I raised my disposable camera and took a photo. Oh, crud.

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Raiders of the Last Cruller

Sunday morning, Bobby Jo Evans walked into Raiders Donuts and bought every single old-fashioned, jelly, long john, and cruller in the establishment. Armed with her pocketbook and righteous conviction, she knew only two things could kill the holy fire on that sacred day: faith without works and church without donuts.

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The Out-of-This-World Pillow

Trey stared blankly at the flat screen. Another night of insomnia. Over the last few months, he’d tried everything: a new bed, diet, exercise, soothing music, noise cancelling headphones, sleeping in different positions. He’d even tried sleep therapy. Nothing worked. He dragged himself through the day like one of the walking dead,

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Show Me Your Socks

As soon as Mister Crockett found that sock on the floor of our dormitory, I knew we were in big trouble. Of all the teachers in the Reformatory School for Troubled Young Monsters, Crockett was the oldest, the meanest, and the wrinkliest.

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SS - Staff Saturday featured image

Bath Time vs. Mr. Fluffers

The front door slams and jolts me from slumber. I uncurl and raise my head. What mortal dares to awaken me?
Ah. It’s my Human, Tricia. She takes off her wet rainboots in the entryway and hangs up her jacket.
“Hello, Mr. Fluffers!” She says in the annoyingly high voice reserved for me and me only.

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Weapon of the Vorishka

I could hardly contain my excitement when Papa chose me for this mission. The guild’s lost treasure, a great weapon rumored to lay low scores of men in a single breath, had been found at last. The centuries-long quest was drawing to a close and I, Stasya Vorishka, would be the one to complete it.

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Samara Spade and the Curse of the Menatari Falcon

I steadied myself against the dash as the car leaned into the cliff. “You really need to go so fast?”
The rusty green Yugo that Aba had rented shifted down. “Sam, I told you to stay home.” He plunged the accelerator into the floor. “But you say that you’re family now and must come with.

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Slumpbuster Bunny

“You got the chicken?” Tommy asked, strutting across the outfield grass wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
“Gosh sakes, Spitfield,” I whispered. “Keep it down, will ya?”
“You found one, though?”
“Deli’s closed.”
Tommy raised upturned palms toward the moon. “You had one job, Luis. You buy rotisserie chicken. I bring the jam and jellies. And Roger…”

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Family Reunion

“Hez!” I jerk my starfighter up, narrowly avoiding a spray of voidblasts. “New shields. Quick!”
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you.” Hezekiah’s voice crackles through my comlink.
“My shields are down!” I dive toward the planet, shoving power into my engines. Newhaven’s emerald surface swallows up my cockpit.
“You’re the red dot, right?”
“Yes!”

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Soul Thief

Out on the shoreline, between the waves and the fire, Death made his home. He walked across the silver-gray sand, trailing wisps of memories as they faded slowly from his grasp.
He paused for a moment, turning his eyes to the waves. The water crashed against the rock, swelling forward one moment,

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Weekend Scoreboard - Bingeworthy - Phenny & Ling

Super Reader Update

Here at Havok, we’re contest people. Best stories, favorite stories, most quotable comments, guess the song— Guess the song! That’s *so* last season. But the Havok Season Two: Stories That Sing anthology is available, and you can guess the songs that inspired those stories. Good point, Ling! Today, we wanted to update you on a

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