Kevin Haggerty #7 - End Of The World 2 (Shelley's Warning)

It was barely ironic when the breaking news made its way into the neuro-implants affixed to every human’s brainstem from birth.  The increasing efforts to maximize technological capabilities had taken the turn that ambitious authors had been scheming since the birth of Science Fiction.  Therefore, it was only appropriate that when the Global News Network announced our downfall that they called it Frankenstein’s Monster.  The cause arrived from the very same ailments that the good doctor had suffered himself.  Although brilliant, man had never truly learned to coexist with one another.  While some ran searching for some random refuge where they could avoid the impending carnage for a few more hours, most just stood outside and watched as the thousands of satellites once in orbit began plummeting down to earth.

Joshua Kirby #17 - End Of The World 1 (Complacent Max)

He really didn't mind the end of society. Society always got him down anyway. All his punk friends bitched about how they wanted anarchy, well now they have it. The surprising thing is, it's not all molotov cocktails and racing through the desert in search of gasoline, the survivors just survive. They just go about their business, waiting for the radiation to wear off of the fun stuff.

Joshua Kirby #16 - The Old Man's Axe

The old guitar was his dad's, passed down to him, but he was always afraid to play it. The old man hadn't played in years, arthritis claiming his near virtuosity. He was just afraid to break a string or even knock it horribly out of tune. A mere ding in the lacquer would haunt him forever. He knew the old man was just a few aspirin away from reclaiming his old skills. So it just sat there, waiting to be played again. He'd never be as good as his old man, anyway.

Kelly Dougher #3 - Paper Birds

Among all the expensive or useful presents she got for Christmas, the eight paper birds from Sweden were the best. They came in a thin tissue-paper sleeve, and didn't speak her language; they were all delicate corners and bright colors. She hung them from her ceiling with yellow and blue thread, and made sure each had a name. Only six are still with her now; one was given away in the name of love, and another was taken in the name of friendship. She figures that in a few years, she won't have any birds left hanging from her ceiling at all; and the idea makes her smile.

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Joshua Kirby #15 - Bottle Of WIne

The sun set at 8:00. They had a bottle of wine picked out for the occasion. They were under the tree with the tire swing where she used to live. She was just visiting her parents, but with her head on his shoulder, she couldn't be anywhere else. It may not have been glamourous, just her parents place, and her place years ago. She refused the wine after a few sips, deciding she wanted a clear head to take it all in. She preferred a Rosé with her sunsets anyway.

Joshua Kirby #14 - Polaroid Land Camera

They'll never take away her polaroids. They say film is out and digital is in. They say people like to see their photos instantly, well she can too. It just takes a few minutes. She likes that the colors are slightly off, so don't even try that argument. Sure the film's getting hard to find, they stopped making it a while ago, but she goes on undaunted. Everything looks older, and to her, there's nothing better than that.

Kevin Haggerty #6 - Recycled Parts

It was rather large for its function, but it was merely a prototype.  After all, he hadn’t even taken measurements as he slapped the uneven pieces of cardboard together with scotch tape.  The important thing was that he’d put his thoughts together in a fine corrugated construction that he could streamline later on.  It even had moving parts.  Once he could decide between dovetails, biscuits, or mortise and tenons, he’d be ready for the real thing.  Until then, he imagined the emotions that might reflect off the polished veneer and the marvels that could be contained within.

Theme Week #1

Attention, Vignettologists! The Vignettology Team would like to announce our first ever Theme Week. The week starting April 26th will be Armageddon Week. We'll run pieces all week about the end of the world, a happy-go-lucky topic to kick off our this new motif. We'll be accepting submissions for your best paragraph about the Apocalypse (Michael Bay fans need not apply). These vignettes will run April 27th, April 29th and May 1st.

Thanks again to all those who have submitted vignettes in the past, and to those who haven't, what's keeping you? Get writing!

Zooey Zimmerman #1 - Fanny And Bill

Fanny and Bill laugh every time they talk. They laugh over coffee in their cramped apartment. They laugh about the funny things their cats do. Fanny paints her toe nails green and Bill laughs at her. Bill grows a beard and Fanny laughs at him. Their friends think the couple is always drunk and they are, in a way. They add quirkiness to their life every day, searching for something new to laugh about. A broken type writer in the back yard? Perfect. A book about tree houses? Better, somehow. They laugh about how their friends must hate them for being so damn happy.

Joshua Kirby #13 - The Murder Scene

The rookie cop was told not to stare, but wasn't sure why. He rode shotgun into the trailer park and saw a little person in handcuffs. He had seen little people before, so he wondered what the big deal was. He entered the murder scene trailer and gasped audibly. The victim had not only the gunshot wound he had heard about, but also lobster like claws where his hands should be. He saw the victim's kids sobbing into similar claws. The cop dashed out, straight into his superior officer. "Yeah, my first trip to Freak Town shook me up too. Better get used to it."

Kevin Haggerty #5 - Here Or There

Though the crimson striations snaked their way inexplicably toward the vacuous pools that were his pupils, his mind remained alert.  Time had frozen once more, as it did so often upon nightfall, and he know found himself lying in his bed staring at the darkness enveloping his consciousness.  The bare ceiling had become the screen for his thoughts to be projected out on.  The story didn’t make sense as scenes ended abruptly and the cast changed erratically.  But, the theme remained constant.  No matter the setting or players on this astral stage, his role was tragic yet mediocre.  Yelling out into the audience he demanded to speak to the director only to find the seats empty.  The stage was gone as well, and the ceiling was only that.  Awareness broke away as he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

Joshua Kirby #12 - Opening Day

Opening day was rainy, but that didn't dim his hopes. Baseball had arrived and it kicked out the cold, harsh winter. He thought briefly of the sport as a metaphor, but decided against it. That's been overplayed, he just wanted to watch the game. To lose himself in the stats. To annoy his girlfriend with constant updates, to look at box scores every morning in the paper, this is his heaven. Walks, RBI, WHIP, OPS. Abbreviations that mean nothing to anyone else. The season lasts exactly as long as the school year, and in a way, some things never change.

Kevin Haggerty #4 - Wars Within

The blank page was tormenting him.  It wasn’t that he lacked ideas or inspiration.  Writer’s block had never been an obstacle he couldn’t overcome.  The real issue at hand was the inactivity.  The virgin field of snow where he had bled the ink of his internal struggles so many times before was acting as a reminder to him.  It showed the stagnancy of his life.  Whether the page was filled or not, he would still be there, sitting in the chair wondering.  The blank page was an excuse.  He was tormenting himself.

Joshua Kirby #11 - Goodbye Bingo

All the clowns at the funeral had their sad faces painted on. Today they mourned their beloved friend and coworker, Bingo. A few people spoke, the mimes said nothing. They remembered all those wild parties in clown college, the time spent on the road, his love affair with the trapeze artist. Refreshments were served out of squirting flowers and poorly aimed seltzer bottles. As they left the parlor, all the clowns bid farewell, giving Bingo's nose one last honk goodbye. The service was well attended, but there were only four cars in the procession.