WEEK 374
When John left the meeting, he knew he had really caused...


...an emotional stir. He could still hear Patricia sniffing and Kathy sobbing. It wasn't until he was standing in the lobby of the skyscraper that it really hit him. He smiled and held his head high as he exited the large glass doors.

As John waited for a taxi he called his wife. He heard the tension and hesitation in her voice when she answered. "They agreed!" he shouted.

She screamed on the other end. Her joy turned into tears.

Trying to squeeze words in between her gasping for air he said, "Our son is going to make it. They're giving us the money for the operation."

by Donald Stidham, Cleveland, TN

...a raukus. Though his moral values were put to the test weekly, he always thought himself a working man who could easily choose his job over any unethical decisions he may encounter... Not this one.

Before delivering his application to this specific journal he had swore to always put the job first. Never will he turn away an opportunity for a story just because it sounded too bland for his tastes. He was a writer, he figured he could make anything sound good.

At the first meeting his boss mentioned the possibility of morality being thrown out the window, but John had it covered. NOTHING would stray his pen from paper. But he would not alter the facts of a child's death in order to get more people to read their publications, and found himself to be the same ethical man he thought he never was.

by Lacii Cheyanne Rundquist, Washtucna, WA

...made a difference. After all the long weeks and months of digging and spying and lying. After all of the shady meetings and nervous conversations and anonymous hotel rooms, it had all been worth it. He had felled a giant. Of course, a corporation of that magnitude doesn't topple over night, but the damage he had done would surely not be repairable. The indictments would begin to be handed down, and accounts frozen, and the blatant and egregious poisoning of an entire regional water supply would cease. Yes the poisoning of the water along with a host of other atrocities would all be a thing of the past, as would the birth defects and soaring number of cancer cases. John was elated. As he stepped out onto the courthouse steps and into the bright sunlight of an unusually beautiful autumn day, the air he breathed seemed almost sweet to the taste. His mind danced along the memories of the hardships endured to bring about this justice.

John never heard the shot, nor did he see the face behind the smoking barrel of the .45 caliber Smith and Wesson that ended his life. But as his life slowly slipped away from him, his sense of peaceful resolve did not......it seemed to grow and grow and overtake his being with it's burning infinity. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....." and one long, slow sigh later, he was gone.

by Tomas M. Villarreal, Elmhurst, IL

...certain government officials to consider the plausible actions of a greater conspiracy within the Intelligence Community to conceal evidence of the existence of extraterrestrials who live among us. No longer could these individuals hide the truth that has become a lie to the common citizens of this great nation. John now presented his conclusive findings in his dissertation that proved there are beings not of our world.

As John made his way to the entrance; a security officer yelled, "Mr. Feldman, please wait for Director Stephens."

"Okay." John replied.

"Mr. Feldman," Director Stephens continued as he led John away, "We need to find a secure place to talk."

"You believe me?" John asked.

"You bet, but if you leave, I can't protect you," Stephens explained.

"Protect me from whom?"

"The Aliens." Director Stephens motioned for the men in white coats to come and take John away. Poor guy, Stephens thought.

by Ranae Cherry, Shrewsbury, PA

...the chief financial officer's ulcer to erupt.

"It would be better if everyone in this room took a fifteen percent paycut, rather than lay off any of the workers."

That unconventional suggestion had created a fire storm and he knew that the CFO was not going to let it escape the attention of Mr. Carmicheal, the president of the company.

John had risen through the ranks, and he took his position of loss prevention supervisor very seriously. He knew that by letting workers go, that would just result in less productivity by those remaining, further endangering the company's survival.

When he got back to his office, there was already a note taped to the door: John, see Mr. Carmicheal immediately!

Without even entering his office, John headed to the stairs leading to the executive offices, knowing that by tomorrow, he would either be hailed as a savior, or be filing for unemployment.

by Stewart Lindsay, Buffalo, NY