"The Tree" A short story by Craig Zimmerman

Like a bullet traveling at thirty times the speed of light, Commander Deena Larson's spacecraft shot through the void of space. Because of the limited space for food and other supplies, Deena was alone on the ship.

Her destination was the exoplanet "Omega."  Omega had been discovered seven years previously and was about five light-years from Earth. A consensus of Astrophysicists had determined that Omega had all of the conditions necessary for life. 

All of the qualified pilots had been psychologically screened, but it was Deena who was thought to have the best chance of withstanding the terrible isolation of the trip.

While growing up, Deena had always been a loner. Her favorite pastime was going deep into the desert of her Eastern Washington State home.

About six months into the voyage, Commander Larson spotted Omega on her ship's long-range scanner. Another month and her spacecraft would be in orbit around the planet.

Deena examined Omega in detail with all of the sensors on board the ship, but it appeared that the planet had suffered some kind of environmental catastrophe. She could only find one faint sign of life.

That evening, Deena sent a message to Earth on her findings and prepared the shuttle for a landing on the planet's surface for the following morning.

The shuttle flight to Omega's surface was uneventful, but Deena was unprepared for the devastation she saw as she stepped out of the craft.

A once flourishing forest appeared to be completely dead. Miles and miles of lifeless trees and shrubs filled the horizon. Deena pulled out her portable sensor and scanned for any signs of life. The only signal came from an old tree at the edge of the dead forest.

Sure enough, the old tree was clinging to life. Deena thought about what to do. From her findings, she had concluded that some kind of plague had destroyed almost the entire ecosystem. She had some fertilizer in her supplies, but there was no way to know if it would help the dying tree.

The next day, Deena applied a small amount of fertilizer to the old tree and then spent the next few hours observing to see what effect it had.

At the end of the Omega day, it was clear that the fertilizer was helping.  For the next week, Deena experimented with the fertilizer and eventually found the optimum mixture and dose to help the tree recover.

After several weeks, the tree began to send out seeds and sprouts appeared among the dead trees. It would take decades for the ecosystem to recover, but it was a start.

Deena thought about the report she would have to send back to Earth. If it were positive, more explorers and eventually colonists would come and the ecosystem would be assaulted once more.

As she prepared to leave Omega, Commander Larson sent the following message to Earth:  "Omega is a dead planet and not compatible with human life."

"The Maze" A short story by Craig Zimmerman

Every year, Jenny looked forward to going to the Halloween festival at The Miler Farm. The Miller's always had the best corn maze in the area and Jenny couldn't wait to try the new one.

After picking out a good Pumpkin, Jenny asked her Mother if she could go through the Corn Maze. Her Mother nodded, and Jenny ran toward the entrance.

Jenny walked slowly through the corn rows finding one dead end after another. Finally, she appeared to be on the right path when a man in a Werewolf  costume stepped in front of her. Jenny pretended to be afraid and ran from the actor.

Eventually, Jenny stopped to rest. She should be just about through the maze, but it was hard to tell, the corn rows all looked alike. Jenny looked at her watch, she had been in the maze for two hours! 
Her  mother should  have been looking for her, but she didn't hear anything. 

Jenny tried to stay calm. The maze was only about an acre in size and should only take a few minutes to walk out of. Jenny chose a direction and began walking. After a half-hour, she still had not found a way out.

Jenny used her cell to call her mother, but there was no answer. She then called every number she knew. There was no answer from anyone. Jenny yelled for help several times, but there was only silence. There were mobs of people around before she entered the maze, where did everyone go?

Jenny sat down and started to cry. Suddenly, the Werewolf  guy was standing over her. Something about him scared her and she started to run, but he stopped her and pointed at a path through the corn rows. Jenny began walking in the direction he pointed and she was soon out of the maze.

"The Diner" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Brian had been driving for hours and he was ravenously hungry, but all he had seen lately is empty countryside.

Suddenly, he noticed a dim neon sign in the distance that said "Desert Cafe." Brian pulled over into the dirt parking lot and went in the crumbling building.

The place was surprisingly full so Brian took a seat at the counter. A creepy-looking waiter in a dirty uniform showed up. "Can I get a menu?" Brian asked. "Would you mind answering a couple of questions first? It's kind of a local custom." The waiter said.

 Brian shrugged "Sure why not."  "How much do you weigh?" The waiter asked with a weird smile.  "About two hundred." Brian answered. "And how tall are you?" "About six-two" Brian replied. 

"Just one more thing and then I will get a you a menu." The waiter said as he brought up a camera from behind the counter. Brian  grimaced as the waiter took the photo. He was rapidly losing patience.

A few minutes later, the waiter returned with a menu.  Brian opened the menu to find his photo under the dinner menu. "As you can see, we do things a little differently here. At the Desert Cafe, the patrons are on the menu."  The rest of the people in the Cafe turned to look at Brian and the waiter smiled, revealing sharp teeth. 

The Walkley's By Craig Zimmerman

The Walkley's owned the kind of small drugstore- gift shop that you rarely see anymore in this era of giant corporations.

Mr. and Mrs. Walkley were an older Jewish couple and their store was the closest place to get a candy bar or a comic book when I was a kid.

Mr. Walkley was always in his white smock behind the counter of the pharmacy and Mrs. Walkley was always at the cash register.

I remember them as always being kind even though it couldn't have been easy having a bunch of rambunctious kids in the store. 

I started collecting old coins when I was about ten and Mrs. Walkley would look through her change whenever I came in the store to see if she had any. I was always sure to give her the same amount as the old coins she found. That is still one of my favorite childhood memories.

The Walkleys retired sometime in the early 1980s I believe. I often wish that we could go back to those slower-paced days when money wasn't the only consideration in business.

"Abuse" a short story by Craig Zimerman

When Michael was young, he used to throw rocks at Fred. Sometimes Fred would cry, but Michael cared little, tormenting Fred was fun.

 When Michael was twelve, he  pushed Fred down a hill and broadcast the event on social media. The video got thousands of hits and for a while, Michael was a minor celebrity.

As Michael got older, he began to think of more creative ways to abuse Fred. In the middle of a snowstorm, he put Fred outside. Michael thought it was hilarious that Fred could hardly move after being out in the cold for two hours.

During his high school years, Michael began to lose interest in Fred except maybe to occasionally throw some food at him. He once posted a photo on the internet of Tomatoes dripping off Fred's face. Everyone loved it.

 Just before graduation, years of abuse finally took their toll and Fred just collapsed. Michael's parents were mad for a couple of days, but then went right out and bought him a new robot.

Education and Democracy by J.M. Tewinkel

The following was written by J.M. Tewinkel Principal of North Central High School , Spokane, Washington in 1949. Some of the statistics  mentioned in his short essay have improved, but the message is still relevant:

"Everyone likes to think that the job he is doing is important. Sometimes a student wonders whether he is spending enthusiastic years to the best advantage by finishing high school.

All the evidence proves that he will hold better positions and earn more money through his lifetime if he sticks to his high school course. That's the selfish side.

But our nation has a comparable interest in each one of you. America's chances for survival are better whenever a student moves over into the "upper one-fourth" in educational status.

America is a democracy and each votes counts once. but the number of voters who didn't reach sixth-grade education equals the population of 29 states. Sixty percent of American voters have not had a year of high school. They couldn't have had more than a smattering of history, civics, economics, and government.

LESS THAN 25 PERCENT of the  American electorate have gone through high school ! 

So America says to each one of you, "stick to your education guns ! We shall expect better judgement and better accomplishment from you then from the less-favored three quarters."

"The Weed" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Jason Taylor's lawn was his pride and joy. As usual, on Monday morning Jason made a slow survey of his yard to see if any imperfections had cropped up overnight. Everything was fine until he noticed the big-fat ugly weed in the center of the lawn.

Jason left his breakfast and rushed to the garage where he picked up a small shovel and some weed killer. Once outside, Jason quickly dug up the weed and sprayed the spot with weed killer. After work, he would try and repair the small hole.

Jason was annoyed by the weed for the entire day and had difficulty concentrating on his work. More then once his boss frowned at him. 

After work. Jason went to work on the damage left by the weed. It was nearly midnight when he went to bed. The next morning, Jason was enraged to find that the weed had somehow grown back in the same spot.

Once again, Jason went to the garage to get a shovel and weed killer. After removing the weed and spraying the herbicide, he also put a patch over the hole.

Jason spent much of the next workday researching weeds and at the end of the day, his boss informed him that he was going to be terminated. Jason didn't protest, he was anxious to get back home and check his yard.

Not only was the largest weed in the center back, but smaller weeds now covered the yard. Jason hacked the weeds to pieces and then dumped all of his remaining weed killer on the lawn.

For the rest of the night, Jason looked  on the web for the most effective weed killer. He finally found a product that was guaranteed to kill every kind of weed permanently.

Several days later, a case of the weed killer arrived. Jason sprayed his entire lawn with the weed killer. The herbicide killed every speck of life on the lawn. A rainstorm spread the poison to other yards and killed everything there as well. 


The area became so poisonous, that it was condemned by the EPA and the residents were forced to evacuate.

As Jason was preparing to leave his home, he noticed a big, fat, ugly weed growing in the bare ground that was once his lawn.

"Drone Love" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

They first met at the park. Ron was sleek and powerful in blue and Sarah was girly and feminine in pink. 

For hours, Ron and Sarah danced among the trees. They were having so much fun that neither wanted to leave.

The next time they met was at the college. Sarah realized that Ron had so much more experience then she did and she struggled to keep up.

Sarah was a little afraid to meet Ron again after what happened at the college, but she was glad that she changed her mind. After another amazing day, Sarah decided that it was time they left the drones at home and met in person.

"Mutant" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Martha thought the route through the mountains would be a short-cut to the city, but after many miles of empty road, she realized the decision had been a mistake.

Sometime around Midnight, Martha heard a strange sound and then the engine quit. She  maneuvered the car off the road and then opened the hood. The maze of wires and parts was a mystery to her. Hopefully, Martha looked at her cell phone, but there was no signal.

Martha felt panic setting in when a car came around the bend. An older man rolled down the window. "Are you ok?" he asked. "Engine trouble" Martha said. "Do you have a landline phone?" she asked. The man nodded and opened the passenger side door. Martha hesitated. She hated the idea of getting in a stranger's car, but there were few options available. Martha got in the car.

As they drove away, the man introduced himself as Dr. Wilson and said he was doing some kind of research in the area. Martha only half-listened, she was more worried about how much money the car repairs were going to cost.

Dr. Wilson had a large cabin about a mile from the main road. Being so far into the woods made Martha nervous and she was anxious to get going. Dr. Wilson showed her where the phone was and then he excused himself. 

Martha looked through a yellow pages by the phone and found a car repair shop in the nearest town. The mechanic she got in touch with promised to come up in the morning and look at the car.

The idea of spending the night in her car did not appeal to Martha but there was little choice in the matter. The mechanic showed up as promised in the morning and immediately looked under the hood.

After a few minutes, he poked his head out and informed Martha that it would cost about one thousand dollars to fix her car. Martha was stunned. She had maybe half of that and no one to borrow the rest from.

The mechanic agreed to tow the car to his shop and wait until Martha decided what to do. Martha began walking up the road to Dr. Wilson's cabin. He was her only option left.

The Doctor was doing some chores outside of his cabin when Martha arrived. "Is your car going to live?" he asked with a smile. "Yes. but it's going to cost more money to fix then I have right now." Martha answered. "How much do you need?" the Doctor asked. "About 500 dollars." she replied. 

The Doctor stroked his beard. "I could use a little help around here, and  for your labor I will pay the balance for you." "Thank you so much Doctor. I will do a good job for you." Martha said with relief.

The Doctor let Martha stay in a guest cabin on his property while she did her work. Most of the chores were routine such as cooking, cleaning, and doing the laundry, but on the third day, the Doctor invited her into his laboratory to do some work.

The lab was much larger then Martha expected. A massive aquarium took up most of the space. The only inhabitant of the aquarium was bright-red spider- like creature the size of a Basketball. 

"What is that thing?" she asked the Doctor who was standing nearby. "A mutant. I call him Julius. I discovered Julius when I was on a field trip up here a few years ago." Doctor Wilson answered. "You mean that Julius is unique?" Martha asked. The Doctor nodded. He is the only one of his kind as far as I know."

As Martha watched, the creature descended to the bottom of the tank and started using some kind of device. "What is it doing?" she asked. "About a year ago, I created a simple language so that Julius and I could communicate. The device he is using sends messages in that language.

The Doctor walked over to a device similar to the one in the tank. "Julius is asking about you. He has never seen a woman before." Martha walked over to the Doctor and he showed her the basics of sending messages on the device. Martha typed in "Hello Julius, "I'm Martha." and sent it to the creature.The creature read the message and then swam to the front of the tank and stared at Martha. "I think he likes you the Doctor joked."

A couple of days later, Martha was serving dinner when the Doctor began speaking. "Julius has been thinking a lot about you." he began. Martha  "Is he in love?" she joked. "Actually, Julius would like to reproduce with you." The Doctor said. Martha dropped her tray of pork chops. "What?" she said alarmed. The Doctor continued ignoring the mess. "Not in the conventional sense of course, but he thinks it would be possible to combine his sperm with your egg and produce a new being."

Martha could not believe what she was hearing. "Absolutely not!" she shouted and headed for the door. "I'm afraid it's too late to say no, Julius has already decided" the Doctor said. Martha suddenly felt very dizzy and then lost consciousness.

Sometime later, Martha awoke in an unfamiliar room. She staggered out the door and discovered that she was in a motel in Nebraska more then a thousand miles from the Doctor's cabin. The desk clerk only knew that a man had dropped her off the night before and paid the bill for two days.

It took over a week for Martha to make her way back to the Doctor's cabin only to find that it was completely deserted. The Doctor and Julius had disappeared.

Film Review- "Ark"

"Ark"  is a science fiction film that is only about twenty minutes long. The  story is fairly simple: Sometime in a horrendously polluted, over-populated future, a lone man tries to preserve a part of the remaining natural world in a wetland habitat that he has created in his home.

To do this, he gradually collects surviving wildlife from the outside and transfers them to his home habitat. Everything seems to be going well until his preserve is discovered. 

I first watched "Ark" when I was 14 and it has resonated with me over the years. Whenever I see a crushed bird on the side of the road or a familiar wood destroyed for "development" this film comes to mind. 

"The Wreck" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Brian Murphy looked out into the darkness of the field. He couldn't see it, but he knew the car was out there. After 37 years, his beloved  Plymouth GTX was slowly being consumed by Blackberry vines.

Brian moved his wheelchair away from the window and once again thought of that night. It was just after graduation and he was challenged to a race by Mike Simmons. 

The two cars met on an abandoned road in the hills. Kids from school lined the side of the road near the starting point. One of the kids volunteered to start the race with a makeshift flag. Brian could feel the raw power from the engine. No one was going to beat his car.

As the flag dropped, Mike's Chevelle  moved ahead, but Brian quickly caught up. About mid-way down the road, Brian began to pull away. The race was almost won when his front tire blew. Brian fought to control his car, but there was nothing that could be done. 

The big GTX swerved into a ditch and then began to roll. When it stopped, Brian was pinned in the wreckage. After he was taken to the hospital. Brian found out that he was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Even when he was barely conscious, Brian insisted to his father that he wanted his car towed back home. 37 years later, the car remained in the field where it was towed all those years ago.

Brian was alone now. His parents had died several years before and he hardly left the farm anymore. From his window, Brian would stare at the car, willing it to come alive again... to save him. At night, he dreamed of the race, but in his dreams there was no blown tire and no accident.

On the anniversary of the race, a spectacular full moon illuminated the car. Brian stared intently at the wreck and soon heard the throbbing of the big V-8. The Plymouth's headlights came on next. His car was alive again!

Brian moved his wheelchair from his bedroom to the outside. The night was beautiful and he was young and strong again. Brian got up from the wheelchair and walked to his car. The GTX shined in the moonlight  and Brian took his seat behind the wheel. This time it would be different. This time he would win the race.

The next morning, a neighbor found Brian quietly weeping in the driver's side of the wrecked, silent car.

"Dash Point Adventure" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

 Jenna found out a month before school was over that her parents were going on a "Second Honeymoon" to Europe and that she was going to stay with her Aunt and Uncle near Tacoma, Washington until her parents got back.

Jenna tried to be supportive, but she couldn't help but  think of all the things she was going to do with her best friend Michelle this Summer.

The day after school was over, Her parents took Jenna to the airport. Jenna felt so grown up getting on the plane by herself. In a about six months, she was going to be sixteen.

Several hours later, the jet landed at Sea-Tac Airport and Jenna looked around the crowded luggage pick-up for her Aunt Terri and Uncle Bob.

After about twenty minutes, Jenna spotted them. They looked about the same as they did the last time she had seen them at a family reunion the year before.

"How was the flight?" her Aunt asked.  "At first, I was scared being on the plane without Mom and Dad, but after about an hour I got used to it." Jenna said honestly.

"How would you like to get something to eat?" her Uncle Bob asked.  "Sounds good. Jenna replied. After leaving the airport, they stopped at a small Cafe' and had hamburgers.

After eating, Uncle Bob took a narrow road that partially followed the Puget Sound shore. Being from Iowa, Jenna loved the inland sea that cut deep into Washington State's western half.

Her Uncle eventually stopped at an old house that sat directly on the beach. "Can I stay in the room that I had the last time I was here?" Jenna asked her Aunt. Her Aunt Teri smiled. "I spent the last few days getting it ready." she said. 

After entering the home, Jenna offered to help  with dinner, but her Aunt suggested that she should go to her room and rest for a while. Jenna had to admit that she was tired.

Her room was on the second floor with a big window that looked right out on the Sound. Jenna collapsed on the big bed and in a few minutes she was asleep.

The sound of thunder woke her. Jenna was fascinated by the view from her window. Lightning lit up the water followed by the crash of thunder.  For a few seconds, Jenna watched  as an old sailing ship was illuminated by the lightning flashes. After a few seconds the ship disappeared.

The next morning, Jenna went downstairs to find her Aunt in the kitchen. "You must have been really tired. You slept right through dinner." she remarked.  "I was." Jenna admitted. "Did the storm wake you.?" her Aunt asked putting a plate of pancakes in front of her niece.

Jenna nodded. "The thunder was really loud." She decided it was best  not o mention the disappearing ship. 

"Any plans for today?" her Aunt asked. I think I will just do some exploring if It''s ok with you." "Just be back for lunch." Her Aunt said.

Outside, the sun was shining. It was hard to believe that just a few hours before a storm had been raging. Jenna sat on a smooth rock on the beach and texted her friend Michelle everything that had happened so far including the ghost ship. Jenna also texted her parents tot tell them that she had arrived safely.

Jenna was watching the antics of a flock of Seagulls when the hottest boy  that  she had ever seen strode out of the surf. For once, Jenna was tongue-tied. The boy took a towel from behind a gym bag hidden behind a log and began to dry off.

"The Sound is a little chilly this morning." he remarked. Jenna could only nod. " Do you live around her? he asked.  "I'm visiting my Aunt and Uncle, Jenna said pointing at the house. "The Bakers? They are good friends with my parents. The boy held out his hand "I'm Matt Fischer. We just live just down the beach." Jenna took Matt's hand"Jenna Ryan" she said releasing his hand.

"How would you like to go sailing sometime? Matt asked. "You have a boat?"  Jenna asked. Matt looked down. "Well, it's my parents' boat, but they let me use it sometimes." he answered sheepishly. "I'll have to ask my Aunt and Uncle first, but if they say yes, I would love to go." Jenna answered. Matt's face broke into a huge smile. 

Jenna's Aunt and Uncle approved of the sailing trip as long as she always wore a life jacket and they stayed in the area. Matt brought the sailboat by the next morning. Jenna had never seen a sailboat up close. "The Islander" was about twenty feet long with multi-colored sails that were furled to the mast.

Matt handed her a life jacket as she stepped on the boat and he showed her how to strap it on. As Jenna took a seat, Matt pulled a lever and the boat slowly headed out into the sound. The weather was beautiful and the water was calm. "When do we use the sails?" Jenna asked. "Unfortunately, there isn't enough wind right now to use the sails." Matt answered. 

Matt kept the sailboat close to the beach and at one point, he let Jenna operate the tiller. Around noon, Matt turned off the engine, dropped the anchor and they had lunch.  "You are so lucky to be able to live here." Jenna commented. Matt laughed "You probably wouldn't say that when it rains month after month during the winter." After lunch, Matt took "The Islander" back to her Aunt and Uncle's dock. "Did you have fun?" he asked. "It was great." Jenna said truthfully and gave Matt a light hug.

That night, Jenna had a nightmare about the ghost ship sinking in a terrible storm. The dream was so realistic that Jenna remembered the next morning where the sinking occurred.

Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day with a light wind and Matt asked her if Jenna would like to take the boat out again. This time, Matt was able to open the sails and "The Islander" flew across the water.

Later in the afternoon, they approached Vashon Island and the area suddenly seemed familiar to Jenna. This was the place from her dream. Jenna asked Matt to anchor the boat at a spot on the west side of the island. Jenna looked into the clear water and sure enough she could see the remains of something resting on the bottom. They spent the rest of the afternoon cruising around Vashon Island and Jenna learned a little about  how to work the sails.

Jenna was having so much fun that she forgot that her parents' trip to Europe was just about over. On her last day at Dash Point, Matt let her be the skipper of "The Islander" and he played First Mate. They cruised most of the day and had lunch near the city of Tacoma. 


The next morning, Jenna was packed and ready to go. Dash Point almost felt like home and she hated to go, but her parents had suggested that Jenna might be able to come back again. She could hardly wait.

Book Review- "The Curse of Ravenscourt." by Sarah Masters Buckey

"The Curse of Ravenscourt." by Sarah Masters Buckey is part of the American Girl series of books in which fictional adolescent girls have adventures at various periods in U.S. history.

The Curse of Ravenscourt takes place sometime in early 20th century New York City. While their house is being renovated, eleven-year old Samantha Parkington and her extended family move into the  new "Ravenscourt" apartment building in downtown New York City.  

Almost immediately, strange things begin to happen and Samantha  thinks that a curse placed on the building's owner-Horace Raven by a tenant of one of his slum properties is to blame.

Author Sarah Masters Buckey has written an exciting story complete with many historical details of the era including the terrible living conditions of the tenements.

"Jake the Logger" a short story by Craig Zimmerman.

They brought Jake's father in just before dinner. A falling snag had broken his leg. The logging camp doctor set the leg and gave his father something for the pain, but there was nothing to take the worried look from his mother's face.

Jake knew what his mother was worried about. Without his father's paycheck, there would be no money for food or anything else. It hadn't always been like this. Once they had a nice house and plenty of everything. Then the Depression came and Jake's father lost his job as a teacher.

Eventually, they all moved to a logging camp near the small town of Enumclaw. Later that night, after the smaller kids had gone to sleep Jake's mother came to him. She told him that even though he was only 15, he would have to go to work. There was no other choice.

The next day, Jake walked alone to the makeshift office of the boss of the logging camp. Jake looked at the massive man behind the  desk and cringed.Most of the loggers were large, powerful men and Jake felt like a runt compared to them.

The large man held out his hand " Eric Olson" the man said in a low rumble. Jake grasped the man's hand "Jake Wagner." "What can I help you with Jake?"  Mr. Olson said. Jake looked into the hard face of Mr. Olson. "I need a job." he said simply.

 Mr. Olson nodded grimly. "I'm sorry about your father. and I know your family needs the money, but I don't know." "Just give me a chance." Jake pleaded.  Mr. Olson was silent for several moments, but then smiled.

"I am going to give you a chance." he said, but you are going to do everything you are told. Do you understand?"  Jake nodded. Be here tomorrow at five in the morning and I will get you started Mr. Olson said.

 When he got home, Jake heard his parents arguing. It didn't take long to find out that he was the subject of the  disagreement.Eventually, the argument faded and Jake's mother exited the bedroom. "Your father would like to talk to you Jake." His mother said upon seeing him."

Jake entered the bedroom and saw his father lying on the bed. His leg was wrapped in bandages. His father motioned for him to come closer. "What did Olson tell you." he asked. " I got a job." Jake said.

His father shook his head. "I wanted so much more for you son. You're smart and you could be so much more than a laborer." Jake waited until his father fell asleep before he left the room.

The next morning, Jake walked to the logging camp. All the men were heading into the woods with their tools. No one paid any attention to him. Finally, one of the loggers came up to him.

"Are you Jake? The man asked in a German accent. Jake nodded. My name is Wagner. I'm going to show you what to do." Jake shook hands with the man and immediately noticed the heavy scars that covered his arms.

When they reached the logging site, Wagner pointed to a couple of men who were sawing on a huge tree. "You go take over for Joseph, he's the one in the red shirt."

Jake shyly walked over the the two men. Both of them ignored him as they pulled the crosscut saw back and forth. Finally, Jake tapped the man in red on the shoulder. "What is it boy?" the man asked in a Polish accent. "I'm taking your place." Jake said over the noise of the lumber camp. The man laughed and took his hands off the saw handle. "It's all yours boy."

Jake grabbed the long handle of the saw and nodded at the other man that he was ready. After an hour of pulling the saw, Jake was exhausted, but he didn't quit.The work of felling  the huge tree went on for most of the day. Finally, they were done and Jake watched in awe as his partner shouted "Timberrr!" and the massive tree tumbled to the ground.

Over the next several weeks, Jake learned how to handle an Axe, cinch a  heavy choker chain on a felled tree, and drive the Oxen team that pulled the logs down from  the mountain.

One day, there was some kind of mix-up and several men were badly hurt by a falling tree. Afterwards, Wagner came up to Jake. "Always pay attention to what is happening around you. Always." the big German said. Jake nodded.


In late October, Jake's family received some unexpected good news. His father, now recovered from the  broken leg had been offered a job teaching in Enumclaw. Unfortunately, that meant Jake would also  have to quit his job.

Jake had learned  to love working at the camp and would miss the rough loggers who had become friends. On his last day, all the guys gathered round and Wagner presented him with his own Axe. " You did good work Jake and anytime you need a job you come back and see us." Jake shook hands with Wagner and the rest of the men and slowly walked down the mountain. 

"Pothole" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Jason cursed the county as he narrowly avoided a pothole that had sprung up on his street. It sometimes took weeks for the county to fix the road.

The next day, the pothole was even larger and Jason plotted a way to get around it without going into the ditch. As he drove around the edge of the hole, it seemed to expand and Jason felt his car being pulled into the chasm.

In moments, Jason's entire car began sinking into the hole. He struggled to get out, but it was impossible to open the door as his car began to fall through space.

The car stopped with a jolt and Jason opened the door. Every trace of his world was gone. There were no houses, or trees, or anything familiar. His present location was almost dark. A dim light came from somewhere and there was smoke from a fire.

"Welcome to Garnton" a voice said. Jason turned to see a tall, hooded figure approaching him. "Who are you?" he asked the hooded figure. 

"I am Traymor  the leader of Garnton. Most of our new arrivals have a lot of questions, so I will attempt to answer them." Traymor said.

"Garnton is a world of few natural resources and in order to get the materials we need we are forced to use unorthodox methods." "Then the pothole was some kind of transportation device." Jason said.  Traymor nodded. 

"If you want my car, you can have it, but I would like to go home." Jason said. "Traymor smiled. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. It is true that we need your car, but we also need workers, so  you will stay as well."

"There is no need to get upset, most of our arrivals come to like Garnton." Traymor said. Jason looked through the dim light at the barren landscape and thought he heard Traymor laughing.

"Alone" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

For the first time in her life, Julie was alone, completely alone. In a daze, she looked at the buildings and people around her. Nothing looked familiar and all of the people were strangers.

Julie wandered for hours and finally realized that she was lost. Without any hope left, Julie tried re-tracing her steps. Somewhere along the way, a woman asked her if she needed help. Julie ran away from the woman as fast as she could.

Eventually, Julie's surroundings started to look a little familiar. She entered a coffee shop and moved through the tables. There it was! Julie picked up her phone from the floor. Everything was alright now. She was no longer alone.

First Crush by Craig Zimmerman

Her name was Sandy and she was tall, dark-haired, and slightly older then my eleven years.

Sandy and I were in the same class that combined the fifth and sixth grades at Panther Lake Elementary School. I recall speaking with Sandy a few times, but I was much too shy to carry on a real   conversation with her. It would have been nice if I could have  gotten to know  her.

In any case, I am grateful for Sandy's kindness to me. Not all girls at that age are as gentle and sweet.

The last time I saw Sandy was while I was voting in one of the presidential elections. She smiled at me from across the room. I hope that she is doing well.

The Pond by Craig Zimmerman

When I was a boy, the pond was a peaceful oasis where I could dream and marvel at the many creatures that lived in and around the pond.

The pond was located in the remains of a forest not far from the city of Tacoma, Washington. A thick layer of Douglas Fir, Cedar, and Madrona Trees concealed the pond from the outside world. A narrow trail led through the trees to the shore.

The main body of the pond was roughly oval and covered about half an acre. At the north end of the pond a tiny "island" stood a few feet from the shore. Not far from the island, a shallow channel led to a smaller section of the pond that was about a third the size of the larger section.

On warm days, Bullfrogs would sun themselves on the shore. At the first hint of danger, the whole group would leap into the water. The natural camouflage of The Leopard Frog blended perfectly withe the plants that grew in the shallow waters of the pond. Green Tree Frogs, used the suction pads on their feet to cling to the branches of Alder Trees that lined the shore. The Western Newt was the only Salamander species that lived in the pond. 

The Salamanders were one of my favorite creatures of the pond. There were the remnants of prehistoric epochs in the supple way they moved through the water.

A cluster of large rocks near the island was the favorite meeting place for a group of Catfish. A few Trout also shared the pond.

A variety of unusual insects inhabited the pond. The larva of the Caddis Fly dotted the surface of the pond in their floating homes made of bits of wood and grass. The Water Boatman used its' oar-shaped limbs to "row" itself across the water. Diving beetles carried a bubble of air in order  to descend to the depths of the pond. Above the water, colorful Dragonflies darted back and forth hunting Mosquitoes and other pests.

The pond was also home to several bird species including: Robins, Blue Jays, Gold Finches, and occasionally a few Ducks. 


In 1977, the pond was drained and covered with dirt. The forest around the pond was leveled. Eventually, several houses were constructed at the site.



   The single Madrona Tree in the photo below is about the only remaining trace of the pond.

"Music From Below" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

In the beginning, Geology Professor Michael Abrams thought the message was a joke. An old friend sent him an email about a story from Arizona.

Apparently, a worker described hearing music at the bottom of a Copper mine. The mining company did an investigation and could find no logical reason for the sounds in the mine. Abrams did a little investigating himself and found out the story was true, although the cause of the "music" could be any number of things.

After all of his classes were over, Abrams decided to contact the mining company. The mining company agreed to let him look into the mystery.The weekend was coming up and it would be a nice change from the routine.Michael  arrived in Phoenix on Saturday morning and after checking in to his hotel he rented a car and drove the 50 miles to the mine.

The mine administration gave him a tour of the grounds and Michael did not find anything geologically unusual about the site. Abrams then asked if he could go down in the mine to hear the sounds himself. The management was a little reluctant, but after he signed a safety release, they decided to let him go.

Michael, the mine foreman, and a couple of workers entered an  elevator  that slowly descended into the depths of the mine. After the mine stopped, the group traveled along a lighted corridor for about half and hour until they reached their destination.

The mine shaft where the music was first heard ended in a pile of large rocks. For several minutes, Michael heard nothing and then it started. The sounds emanating from beyond the rocks were unlike anything that he had ever heard  before and he hit the button on a tape recorder. Michael once and for all dismissed the idea  that there  might be a natural explanation for the phenomenon. The beauty and complexity of the  music  suggested a composer.

When the group returned to the surface, Michael went to talk to the site manager and tried to convince him to let Michael explore the mine shaft further. The manager was reluctant to allow any more exploring, but relented after Michael suggested that it could bring some favorable publicity to the mining company.

Professor Abrams spent the next several weeks preparing for the exploration of the mine shaft. He recruited several of his best students as helpers and compiled the latest scientific and safety equipment.

Before the group left for Phoenix, Michael received a message from the mining company that the rocks had been cleared away and there was now a visible tunnel at the end of the mine shaft where the music was first heard.

Michael was excited as a little kid when he and his students descended into the mine. Professor Abrams was the first one through the newly uncovered tunnel. The music was louder now and he eagerly followed the sound.

After about half and hour, the tunnel widened into a large cavern. The music was much louder now and Michael could feel that they were getting close to the source.

The cavern ended in another tunnel and Michael and his group cautiously followed the tunnel. Whatever was making the music was right up ahead. 

The tunnel led to another large cavern, but this one was occupied. Michael and the student's lights exposed some kind of musical instrument that occupied half the cavern. Several colorless humanoids were "playing" the huge instrument. The lights from Michael and the others startled the creatures.

They left the instrument and cowered in a corner of the cavern. Michael tried to tell them not to be afraid with gestures and a quiet voice, but it did no good.

 Suddenly, The ceiling of the cave shimmered and cracked. Tiny pieces began to fall. Michael and his group backed away while the cave disintegrated in front of them.  Even while he was watching the destruction, Michael realized that it was the explorer's presence that triggered the catastrophe. The New World was gone. 

"The Drone" a short stotry by Craig Zimmerman

Julie noticed the drone as she was leaving her Political Science class. The machine hovered slightly above an old Oak tree and seemed to be staring at her. She quickly began walking away from campus and tried to forget the  hovering device.

Julie's felt better after she left the campus. Drones were becoming somewhat commonplace, but they still gave her the creeps. One never knew who was guiding the thing and perhaps secretly spying on you.

When Julie was about halfway home, she looked back and saw the same drone from campus quietly hovering behind her. Out of frustration, Julie raised her middle finger at the machine and hurried on. It was probably just some frat jerks from college, but the machine was starting to frighten her.

Julie decided to take a slight detour from her usual route and ducked into a mini-mart. For about twenty minutes, she went up and down every aisle and finally purchased a candy bar that she really didn't want.

As Julie exited the store she immediately looked around her. The drone seemed to be gone.Julie resumed her original route and laughed about the whole thing.

Several minutes later, Julie heard a small sound and turned to see the drone right behind her. In a panic, she began to run. Eventually Julie ran into a small neighborhood park. For a moment, she thought that she had lost the thing, but the drone re-appeared directly in front of her.

Julie began yelling at the device. In answer, a small compartment in the bottom of the drone opened and a box dropped to the ground. For the first time, a human voice came from the drone: "Congratulations, you are the winner of a free pizza from Todd's Pizza Parlor."

Book Review- "Death Be Not Proud" by John Gunther

Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther is the chronicle of the fatal illness of his son Johnny Gunther. The story takes place in the late 1940s when teen-age Johnny is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

At the time little was known about the treatment of cancer and Johnny was subjected to a number of experimental treatments and surgeries.But through it all ,young Johnny showed amazing courage and humor.

At one point, it appeared that the tumor had gone into complete remission, but sadly it came back and Johnny Gunther died at the age of 17.

Death Be Not Proud is well-worth reading in that it shows how far we have come in the treatment of cancer and as a memorial for a remarkable young man who exhibited tremendous grace and bravery in the face of a terrifying disease.