Havok Publishing

Humor

The Beauty Problem

Dr. Miranda sucked in a breath of crisp autumn air and eyed the park across the street from her office. She’d had a long morning, and the sight of elm trees, limbs clothed in golden leaves, eased the tension in her shoulders.
I’ll take a walk, clear my mind, and—
“Doctor Miranda!”
Doctor Miranda’s shoulders instantly tensed again. Tilli.

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High Stakes

It was midnight when I reached my flat. I’d left Henry Wotton’s party early, fatigued by tedious debate over whether a heavier-than-air flying machine was possible, sparked by recent reports from the United States. As I stepped through the door, an intruder flung me against the wall, pinning me there with a powerful forearm.

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Memoirs of a Vampire: A New Face on the Walls

“Too far.”
Bang. Bang. Bang.
I sped up to the portrait gallery.
“Nope.” Victor muttered to himself as he raised the hammer.
Bang. Bang—
I snatched the tool from his grasp.
He spun, his expression shifting from annoyance to welcome. “Jean-Luc!”
I glowered back. “Why, pray tell, are you banging holes in my walls?”
“I’m hanging a portrait!”

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Agent Orange and the Forgetful Witness

“Tell me again why we’re running from these people?” Harmony Star asked.
Agent Orange stifled the urge to curse as he jerked the steering wheel, just in time to avoid another projectile from behind. He was a master escape artist, but he had a tough job ahead. “Because you witnessed an illegal arms purchase!
“Tell me again why we’re running from these people?” Harmony Star asked.
Agent Orange stifled the urge to curse as he jerked the steering wheel, just in time to avoid another projectile from behind. He was a master escape artist, but he had a tough job ahead. “Because you witnessed an illegal arms purchase!

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Harm on the Range

Harmony, we don’t have room for…” Shading my eyes against the sunset, I counted the bison supping on my black-eyed Susans. “Seventeen buffalo to roam. Our home is not a home on the range.”
“But Mom, they need somewhere to live.” Her blue eyes pleaded with me. “And they’re itsy-bitsy bison.” She hummed the

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Valerie Darling and the Case Before Her

A bejeweled ukulele strapped over her shoulder, Harmony Starr invites me inside her condo—at least in the sense that it has walls. It still feels like outside, with potted ferns and exotic plants dominating the living room. Chittering rodents and songbirds scurry and flutter among them. Certainly a creative use for her trust fund.

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A Memorable Match

Eric pushed through the underbrush, cursing the strange echo effect in the valley. He could hear the faint strains of the ukulele, but locating the sound was nearly impossible. “I’m probably going in circles,” he groused.
As he stepped over a spindly creek, a large shadow blocked out the filtered sunlight.

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Love, Harmony

Dear Mom and Dad,
Thanks for looking after things for me while I’m gone! I know you were a little skeptical of my crazy business plan at first, but sales have been booming lately. People seem really open to the idea of a café with more live animals than just cats! I can’t believe

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Swimming with the Phishez

“And so the rumors of kelpies remain to this day. Now please, enjoy the concert, and remember, swimming in the loch is strictly forbidden.” The guide smiled as she finished her tour, and the group dispersed. Harmony meandered after the tourists, taking in the heather-covered hills. beside the loch.

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Pied Piper Pest Control

“Lost, Goldilocks?”
I stand, brushing dirt from the knees of my green corduroys as I beam at the fox standing nearby. “Nice guess, friend! My name’s Harmony. Harmony Star. And I’m not lost. I only stopped to help a three-legged turtle safely cross the path on my way to…to…”
Where am I going again?

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Wanted: A Quiet Evening Stroll

I’m outside for my evening stroll around the fenced-in backyard, wondering how to rid myself of the undignified noises from the neighborhood riffraff when I see it. At first, the white light looks like a shooting star. But on second glance, it’s approaching Earth far too quickly for that.
“Great. Another interruption,” I mutter

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Tee Time

Alice Liddell stood, brushed the dirt off her white pinafore apron, and stretched. That’s enough gardening for today. Her back muscles complained, and Alice massaged the most painful ones with her right hand. Retirement was great. Being old enough to have retired, not so much.
Alice gazed longingly at the forest. What adventures she’d

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