Completed Works
By Christopher Mitchell The Scouting Party Pick woke as the black skyline shifted to dawning gray. He dressed quickly, grabbed his gear and rushed outside before he missed the show. He greeted the men he passed, his pack held over his shoulder, letting his feet guide him to the lookout post. The eagle’s nest, as…
By Christopher Mitchell Orders from the Commandant Pick met and held the eyes of every soldier they passed. Their faces brightened, smiling broadly at the enforcer’s acknowledgment of their existence, raising hands in salutation. Pick had lost money to each of them at least once. And opposite: he’d earned back double what he’d lost. He…
By Christopher Mitchell “C’mon!” Darren whispered, “hurry up before someone sees us!” He held the factory window open for Shawn and Devon, keeping his eyes peeled for nosy bystanders. Their friend Tommy’s dad was on guard shift tonight. That meant Tommy’s dad would be too drunk to catch them, even if they were seen. But…
By Christopher Mitchell Wire Pick kept his ears open and his eyes in the stars as Booker plodded toward the lights on the side of the mountain. Mattock walked beside Cripple, giving the horse an opportunity to rest its back from carrying his heavy Irish ass. He whistled softly, arm draped over the nape of…
By Christopher Mitchell The Crawler Hunt Pick rode under a violet sky, unaware of the rest of the world around him. His horse, Booker, plodded slowly up the Arizona basin, much less enthusiastic about how the pinks melded with deep oranges as his riding partner was. But the view was majestic, nonetheless. And as Father Sun finally bowed its…
By Christopher Mitchell Scripture stood in front of her life’s work, amazed by her own brilliance. The lab was a din of noise. The whirring of the generator rose in pitch like an air raid siren. The whizzing of the steel ball reached terminal velocity inside the upright circular track, its rumblings stifled by the…
By Christopher Mitchell Part Two Her name had been Bright Moon, and Broken Spear had loved her all his life. Her father had protested the loss of his only daughter to the hunter’s persistent determination, but he was hers and she was his, and Broken Spear could not…would not…be assuaged of this fact. Twin-River eventually…
By Christopher Mitchell The Jack of All Trades Autumn bowed to winter in resignation. The snows started, and Oliver spent much of his time keeping the fires lit and the stable warm. It had been the most profitable season on record, with Oliver using the extra income to buy more books and lumber to expand…
Luckily, the old Ford’s engine made the possibility of conversation next to impossible. Penelope stared out the window, watching the hills roll past in the hues of early May. Yellows interspersed with the budding greens, and Oliver heart leapt at Penelope’s cry of pure joy as the first peaks of the Big Horn Mountains peered…
By Christopher Mitchell The sky was on fire. From above, as the planet erupted in a ball of bright blue flame, war raged in the aether. Fleet Destroyers painted the black void with yellow-orange tongues of light, exploding silently as the vacuum consumed them. The expanding ball of flame flashed vividly against the backdrop of…