Havok Publishing

Humor

Unnatural 20

The barbarian exploded from the folding table launching dice, game pieces, and potato chips in every direction.
Tony, Piper, and Bart dove to the carpet for cover.
“What did you do?!” Piper screamed at Tony.
“What did I do?!?” Tony army crawled away from the disaster.
“Yeah, you butthead. You rolled!”

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Transactions

Damn. Tahnee hit the floor. This guy is good.
Good thing she was better. However, it was time to end their little dance despite the fun she was having.
“Wait—”
“Sorry, mate.” She clipped her opponent’s legs, driving the guard to the ground.

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An Odd Awakening

The human must’ve been shocked upon its awakening to see a bear using a computer. The sight of a bear alone would’ve been enough to set alarm bells ringing, but one checking emails over a morning coffee was something else entirely. It explained the hysterical cries issuing from the human’s mouth.

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The Messenger

Finding Seph was the easy part. She wore pomegranate-colored sneakers that glowed like taillights in the receding summer light. Stopping her was trickier. Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground as she ran down the boardwalk along the ocean, seagulls following close and squawking at her.

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The Jewel Thief

Stolen again.
I’d recovered the jeweled pendant three times before, yet somehow the masked bandit always got ahold of it again. I got the call just before sundown and strode into the vault with beams of sunlight shining across the mahogany surfaces of the lobby behind me.

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Same Old Routine

A torrential downpour flooded the grassy clifftop. The octopus turned the key yet again, but all the engine produced was a pathetic cough. The fuel gauge lay well below E, and no amount of glaring on the octopus’s part would make it rise.

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The Candy Conspiracy

I checked the numbers again, but they still didn’t add up. Even a mathematically challenged amateur sleuth like me could see the glaring discrepancies. How could candy companies be showing record high profits when the nation was experiencing record low candy sales?

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One Being’s Trash

“What did you just do?”
El’s thought pinged into Jay’s brain, and he willed his thinking to be casual. “Nothing.”
“I thought we just came out for a flight. But you vented something.”
Jay lifted his hand from the control panel and waved it innocently. “Nothing really.”

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The Pet Rock Named Dave

“Please look at me, not my body.” Dave’s voice came from behind her, rather than his open, motionless mouth.
She turned back towards the amulet. Two googly eyes glued to a fist-sized rock stared back at her. Karen squinted. She gave the rock a tight smile.
“You look different, honey.”

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NewU Life Agency

“Thank you for calling NewU Life Agency, where your dream life is only a phone call away. This is Zoran.How may I be of assistance?” The demon stifled a yawn with a clawed hand.

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Of Life and Breakfast

The man stood on my front step, white suit hanging over his unnaturally tall, thin frame, my morning paper in his hand. I pulled my bathrobe tighter and blearily glanced from his rainbow wig to my paper as I processed his greeting.
“So… you said you’re the grim reaper?”

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Phenomenal Phoenixes

Behind me, the aviary had grown unnaturally quiet. Scores of black orbish eyes peeped between the bars of their spacious cages—all looking at me.

When Mystic Critters hired me, they’d warned me that phoenixes are sentient. They’d failed to add that they are shameless eavesdroppers and malicious gossips.

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