Havok Publishing

Archive - February 2022

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Case #3984

Devon threw up his hands. “We’re lost.”
The national park was vast, and we had strayed off the path. He turned to me as if looking for answers. “Should’ve brought the personal locator beacon like I told you.”
Laura walked up from behind, patted me on the shoulder, and waved her cell phone.

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Casting Call Anthology Finalists (aka Long List)

By my flaming feathers, never in my life have I seen such a collection of characters! Are you talking about Havok’s Season Six, Phenny? I mean, that was the whole idea, right? What do you mean? Casting Call was all about calling out the twelve classic character archetypes and seeing who showed up. And boy

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Partner

You’d think that meeting a dog made of stars and an old friend of my parents would prepare me for anything. But I still gape when the glowing, nebulous portal appears. Auburn and purple swirl together in a maelstrom of color suspended in the air.
Major turns, hand at his wristwatch—which

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Haddie, Harpies, and Havoc

“Haddie Underwood, you said you knew how to fly this thing?!” Percival Holmes shrieked over the rush of the wind.
“Funny story—I lied!”
Haddie clutched the neck of the griffin as it plummeted through the sky toward the infamous Harpy Mountain. The bird tumbled, its claws skittering across the rocky terrain,

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Shadows Ahead

Sadie gives herself sixty seconds to decide the course of the rest of her life.
Follow the scorched trail or forget her entire investigation.
Arson investigator Detective Sadie Jenkins has spent six months following every lead on the arsons in the Northern National Parks. Though she’s sacrificed countless nights of sleep investigating the

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Wizards and Chickons

I run to the cabin, desperate to warn Zofan about our impending calamity. Maybe I shouldn’t have chosen “wizard” as my occupation. I burst inside and nearly collide with my mentor. He stops me with a scowl and folded arms.
“Gwynfar, look outside. Tell me what you see.”
I peek out the window

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A Glint of Silver

Lyle bit his lip, heart pounding as he scanned the waters for any sign of police boats or security. This trip was a stupid idea. Why had he even agreed to return? He knew the dangers.
Flustered, he ripped the sunglasses from his face and rubbed his burning eyes. Foolish sentiment had clouded

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Falcon Ledge

My father said I’d find my inheritance in the cliffs.
We walked there many chilly evenings before he died. I loved the mighty crash of the ocean against the white rock walls below us. So majestic and haunting.
I always had a feeling this captivating place had something to do with my father’s occupation.

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CROP Brigade

Salt water dripped from sodden hammocks—intermittent patters percussing throughout the dropship against the steady hiss of misters coating the Caribbean Reef Octopus Paratroopers with cool saline. CROP-15 closed his eyes in contentment, swaying as his berth dangled in the metal fuselage. As central brain, he appreciated the effort these land-dwellers had put

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Flight Across Stars

The stars are alive.
I tip my head back, gazing at the constellations as they spin their stories across the endless blue-black of the night sky. Tonight, Lupus is being hunted by Orion. The spear of the warrior twinkles as he stalks toward his prey. The Ursas are drumming a beat, the low pulse

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Thunderbird

I’m tossed from the charter plane at two thousand feet, plummeting toward the Earth without a parachute. If gravity proves true, I’ll skewer the Alaskan treetops in seconds.
A week in the remote wilderness had seemed like a good idea. It meant time to clear my head. Campfires and hunting. Reflection and recovery

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Honey-Do

Never thought I’d die on a fishing boat. Don’t know why. Then again, never thought I’d be finding m’self fishin’ for Merithian sardines, either. Horrid things, make no mistake. An’ if you get ’em riled enough, their frenzied numbers can sink ships faster than wreckin’ on a reef.
I stare over the bow

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