Mark Gagnon
Bio
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
Achievements (1)
Stories (457)
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An Unusual Acquaintance
When I opened the front door the smell of burnt food was overpowering. I knew I hadn’t left the oven on before going to work so the culprit had to be Carl. He was always experimenting with new recipes or looking for creative ways to build things. I can’t blame him for wanting to expand his imagination, but a little common sense might make his projects less devastating.
By Mark Gagnon6 months ago in Horror
Everyone Needs One
Marty made his daily pilgrimage to the mailbox. As usual, it was crammed with one or two bills that needed paying and a plethora of junk mail. By far, the biggest offender of landfill stuffing is the funeral industry. He always received at least two and up to five letters per week, inviting him to various restaurants. After attending a seminar about burial and cremation options, he was offered a free meal. Marty never thought that caskets and chicken pot pie complimented each other, but apparently morticians do.
By Mark Gagnon6 months ago in Fiction
Time Will Tell
Everyone thought of Marty as a dim bulb. When talking about him, people would use descriptors like: not the sharpest knife in the draw, lights are on but nobody’s home, nice guy but not playing with a full deck. His reputation for being not quite with it started when he began his freshman year of high school.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Humans
Our True Heritage
Our society has existed in this remote valley for a thousand years. We had enough land to farm and game to hunt so that our clan has been able to stay totally isolated from the rest of the planet. Clan members resembled early pioneers in dress, housing, and way of life. Their government functions similar to an oligarchy, minus the royal titles and trappings, but keeping all the brutality and iron-fisted rule. Four families controlled all government functions:
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Fiction
The Incident
They just stood there staring at each other. I’m not sure if everyone was simply at a loss for words or afraid to be the first to say something. True, an incident like this does take time to process, but someone had to be the first to speak. Since he was the oldest of the group and the owner of the small manufacturing plant, Peter knew that the responsibility to start a conversation about the incident fell directly on him. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and began.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Fiction
There's Always a Catch
The Hummingbird symbolizes happiness and joy. It appears out of nowhere and briefly, spreads happiness and joy into the lives of those it passes. It carries messages from those who have passed on to their living relatives, according to ancient Native American lore.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Fiction
I'd Like A Room Please. Top Story - July 2025.
I travel a lot for work and usually stay at one of the major hotel chains. Their rooms are normally clean, beds comfortable, and the interior walls soundproof enough that if the person next door sneezes, I don’t feel compelled to say, “Bless you.” Unfortunately, none was available for this trip.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Horror
Finders Are Not Always Keepers
I stood at the foot of a staircase that piqued my curiosity. A sign on each riser proclaimed where the contents of the room above had originated: Barns, Estates, Cellars, and Attics. Best of all, everything is “half off.” Half off, what exactly is a mystery? By striding to the top of the stairs, would I be entering a treasure trove of unique antiquities or a room full of other people’s castoffs? Only one way to find out—I climbed.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Horror
I Believe We’ve Met Before
It had been ten years since Pete returned home from a war that everyone said was mankind’s last. He knew as much as he wanted it to be true, human nature would find a way to nullify that bold statement. It always did. What he knew for certain was the life he had built for himself and his young family since he’d returned was far better than what he had imagined it would be ten years ago.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Fiction
The Bunker
I can’t be the only one looking for answers about this place. Aren’t you just a little curious? There are so many questions; who built it, why was it built here, and the thing that nags at me more than all the other questions, what’s being kept behind that reinforced door? I know none of it is any of my business, but I simply must know.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Horror
Who Judges Success
An elderly gentleman casually strolled around the perimeter of the gallery, admiring the paintings. He would stop in front of each one, read the placard describing who the artist was, the year it was painted, and the title of the work. There were very few people visiting the gallery on a weekday morning, so he could take as long as he wanted, drinking in each one’s unique beauty. The only distractions came from a passing guard striding by on his rounds or a docent asking if he needed any help. Each painting portrayed a different scene, but used the ocean as a backdrop.
By Mark Gagnon7 months ago in Journal
Talking Points 1905
I started the company van the other day and was immediately greeted by a bombastic baritone voice booming from the radio. I’m not sure who the speaker was because, to me, they all sound alike. It doesn’t matter if it’s politics or sports, I never listen to talk radio. I want to hear music when I turn on the box, not someone proselytizing.
By Mark Gagnon8 months ago in History
