Havok Publishing

Humor

Going to Extremes

“Derek Percy handed me a challenge.” Hazel Williamson gripped the edge of her desk as she leaned toward her screen. “It’s the toughest our company’s ever faced.”
Nui grinned at his CEO. “Hazel, Earth Extreme Travel lives on challenge.” He jerked his thumb toward the advertising hologram by his X-Games trophies. “Says so, right there.”

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The Irukandji Jellyfish

Jenna breathed in the fresh, salty air, preparing herself for the poisonous quest ahead. Would today be the day she told him?
Professor Herbert sat on the sand with his sturdy legs crossed, scanning their surroundings.
The Australian coast spread out like a strip of grainy brown paint. It banked against the trees…

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Yara-Ma-Yha-Who

There’s nothing like finding yourself in the middle of nowhere, in a strange country, sitting like bait in a trap under a giant fig tree, to make you stop and think about your life-choices.
I always considered myself to be a reasonably intelligent, cautious person, but would a reasonably intelligent, cautious person be…

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Killing SPPREE

“Doctors, we have a murderer among us.” Standing at the lectern boulder at the center of base camp, Dr. Angela Mansfield glared in turn at each of her three surviving colleagues. Each were seated on logs around the council circle, every shocked face bathed in an amber glow from the setting sun behind her.

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Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright

“What’s the main difference between Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Tasmanian Tiger?” challenged Boof Turnbull, the bulldog-faced mayor of Dunnayewie.
The small gathering shuffled their feet and made asides to each other, fearing a trick question.
Finally, Shady Oaks ventured, “There’s no Bigfoot or Yeti here in Tassie?”
“Jesus, clowns to the left

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Regretfully Yours, Miss O’Reilly

I knew I would regret taking Cuthbert Devereaux’s navigation advice.
When my old nemesis butted into my mission in Nazi Germany, he brought nothing but trouble. It’s entirely his fault we landed in colonial Australia. Now we’re trussed like roasted chickens and propped against a pile of dusty saddlebags in an outlaw camp.

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The Lightning Squad

Puddles along the street mirrored the blue neon glow of the Chiang Mai business district. Tiny zips of lights flashed across the roadway, adding their spark to the reflective glow. Flickering lights continued to fill the street, until finally the mighty lightning bug army descended, rippling the puddles, at the rendezvous point chosen months

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The Elephant in the Elevator

“Time for your first elephant hunt, Ms. Chowdhury.” Inspector Patel’s gaze was fixed on the huge, disc-shaped space elevator descending the cable toward its Himalayan base. So was mine, but with more awe—this system lets us easily and regularly reach space itself!
My pulse accelerated. I tapped my case. “My equipment is ready…

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Moonshine

There it is again. The white thing breaches the shimmering surface of my tea. One glance at the bulbous lump and the word tumor springs to mind unbidden. I raise the mug to my nose ostensibly to smell it, but really, I’m trying to sneak a closer look. What is that? Steam rises from

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That’s the Spirit!

Hiroshi sighs loud enough to be heard over the rain drumming the kitchen windows. “Whenever you’re finished, Tamiko…”
“Just a minute.” I rummage in the cupboard, silently cursing the overbooked Tokyo hotels that forced me to crash on my least-favorite cousin’s futon. If only our grandmother hadn’t died during cherry blossom season…

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The Wild Musicians of Bremen

I may look like the average Weimaraner, but I play a mean violin. I pick the strings, Scratch strums her zither, and Blizzard keeps time with his hooves. The sun sets on the horizon. Our animal band wraps up another day of jamming together in our overgrown, dilapidated cottage.
I sniff and…

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