Author Archives: J. E. Marksteiner

Everett Jackson, called Jack by his family and the people he employed, and by other less-flattering names by those who didn’t have to kowtow to him, was a man who knew how life should be lived, and he made sure … Continue reading →

The new ride at the theme park in Orlando was an instant hit. Everyone exited raving about the experience. But the big attraction was the chance – the slim but possible chance – that you could be invited to take … Continue reading →

From the time he was a toddler, Doug Preston was fascinated by weather. His first sentence was, “Storm coming, Mama,” as he pointed toward the towering black clouds just east of their home. As he grew, his talent grew with … Continue reading →

Today we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first NOT-A election. Back in 2020, it was a brand new, radical idea. People liked the concept but couldn’t figure out how it could work in actual practice. However, they were tired … Continue reading →

Love is not blind. Love sees clearly. Love sees into the shadows. Love knows and loves anyway.   Love speaks to the best in us. Love insists that we listen. Love persists until we hear. Love lingers like an echo. … Continue reading →

Last night I dreamed of demons. In the dream I received a large box from an anonymous sender. Inside was a note saying that the contents were a gift for me. With puzzled anticipation, I peeled back the packing material … Continue reading →

I learned a lot over the past two years while I was judging a writing contest. I learned that it’s harder to judge something that is obviously badly written than it is to judge something that I thought was good. … Continue reading →

Ugh ran into his cave, shaking water from his saber-toothed tiger skin cloak. “J’ugh, you’ll never believe what just happened! I was running through the forest to get home before the rain started when I looked up between the clouds, … Continue reading →

Gloricat meowed and scratched at the front door. She almost never went in and out of the front door, much preferring the privacy of the back yard. “What’s with you?” asked Sandy. “Did you hear somebody outside?” Sandy opened the … Continue reading →

I’d better tell this story while I still can. I heard the new family talking about replacing me, so I don’t know how long I have before they send me to the dump. I’ve been here since the house was … Continue reading →

You are better than you think you are. I’ve been you and I’ll be you: believe it. You don’t have to be a man to have a successful career. You don’t have to be a receptionist; you can be a … Continue reading →

Antonio insisted in going into the room where the technician was going to perform an ultrasound on his wife, Sofia. He paced anxiously while he waited to find out if the baby was going to be a girl or the … Continue reading →

Jealousy is a green-eyed devil, luring us down the path of least resistance. Wanting, but not providing, tempting, but not delivering, always believing that life is coming up short of what it should be. Jealousy at its root is insecurity, … Continue reading →

Rebecca Knight was worried. Something seemed different about her husband Marcus, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Marcus had been coming home from work late every night. After several weeks of this, she stopped waiting up for … Continue reading →

I happily wandered through the grounds of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, focusing my attention on the store windows. The walkway in front of the small establishments circled a garden with a small waterfall and a meandering brook populated by koi … Continue reading →

Scotty had never felt so alone in his life. He stood in the middle of the road in front of a lonely gas station about five miles outside of a small town in New Mexico, watching the taillights of his … Continue reading →

Recently I have been getting calls from people who speak foreign languages, several from a woman who speaks Chinese. At least I think it’s Chinese. Her speech has a tonal quality that I think is probably Chinese. I don’t know … Continue reading →

“Mr. Ellis, would you mind coming to my office after lunch today? We need to talk.” He nodded and watched Cecilia Davis walk away, stopping to chat with other residents of Seaside Senior Living on her way out of the … Continue reading →

Adam was awakened by a sound he had never heard before. Opening his eyes, he saw his new spouse chewing on something, something forbidden! “What are you doing? We aren’t supposed to eat that!” “I know, but I was hungry … Continue reading →

Bob was immersed in spreadsheets when his cell phone rang. His hand reached for it automatically, and he answered before he could stop himself. He really didn’t want interruptions and needed to focus his full attention on his work. “Hello?” … Continue reading →

I bought a “Surprise Box” at Goodwill and took it home to explore the contents. I found mostly old dishes and silverware, wrapped in a couple of well-worn and stained tablecloths. At the bottom, wrapped carefully in a beautifully hand … Continue reading →

She was probably in her late sixties at the time I met her on a city bus. I told her I was on my way to my first job interview. She wished me luck and said she was going to … Continue reading →

It was late September and Julia still hadn’t made any friends. That didn’t surprise her. School was in full swing at Southlake High, and almost everyone in the junior class had known each other since kindergarten. Julia, on the other … Continue reading →

(The story cut to 100 words.) Mom arranged six birthday candles on the cake as CIndy’s anticipation mounted. She couldn’t wait to see her new red scooter. Daddy came in, carrying a beautifully wrapped box that wasn’t big enough to … Continue reading →

I walked down a city street, feeling grit beneath my shoes, burdened by a cacophony of voices, coughing the exhaust of taxis, amid a rainbow of faces.   My thoughts lived in clean, high mountains, reveling in the scents of … Continue reading →

I was cleaning out my Spam folder, a task I did daily, when I saw a new email with “Delete This” in the subject line. I hadn’t seen that for quite a while and was suspicious that it might be … Continue reading →

                                                                                        January 8, 2035 Dear Diary, Who am I? I thought I knew, but now … I feel like everything is upside down. I didn’t want to come on this stupid camping trip anyway, and now look what happened. … Continue reading →

My name is Chris and I’m an oldster. No, here and now, in this time and place, I’m an oldest and the new Leader. I became an oldster almost a year ago on my 77th birthday. Now that Tom died, … Continue reading →

Every few years I go through this same dilemma. Do I renew my Marriage Contract, or let it lapse and find someone new? I know this partner well and we have settled into a comfortable life together, but sometimes … … Continue reading →