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Come Dawn, fiction

Lucas watched through the tree line as his neighbor, old Mr. Huxtable, filled the foxhole.

The boy waited for the cover of darkness before he crept to it, shovel in hand. He dug and clawed under the full moon.

Come dawn, a pair of pups yipped at the waking sun.

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great surprise ending

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author

Thank you!

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Oct 19Liked by Justin Deming

This one is really good, Justin! I can picture the poor little pups blinking at the sun, so grateful for a second chance! I would love to know what happens next... Do they run away? Does Lucas take them in? Does Mr. Huxtable get angry at Lucas? Lots of possibilities.

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author

Thanks, Andrea! I’m happy you enjoyed it.

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Ooo. That one grabs.

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Thanks, Mark!

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Oct 19Liked by Justin Deming

I didn't understand this at first. Then it hit me really hard. Wow.

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author

Thank you for reading, Sharron!

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Oct 20Liked by Justin Deming

I wouldn't miss fifties by the fire fer nothin'! I look forward to it.

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author

😆 Same here!

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Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

NATURE OF THE BEAST, fiction

Muddy tracks on the floor… He must've crept in through the garage. Filthy creature, smelling of god knows what. I found him rooting through the kitchen cabinets, grubby paws foraging for food.

Just Harold. The absent-minded, earth-worshiping animal that I married — Lord of the Garden, King of Homegrown Tomatoes.

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author

Hahaha! Hey, we do our best! 🤣

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Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

Hahaha!! I know of those creatures. Mine is armed with a weed whacker most of the time, but is harmless to anything but the milkweeds and dandelions, creeping along the ground between the gopher holes.

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Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

Hey! That sounds like my garden!? Can I borrow your weed whacker ( the breathing one) sometime?

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Of course! Will work for cheese and fruit. (;

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Now you're talking!

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I'll take one, please.

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HUNTER, fiction

The moon hung heavy.

A thrill surged through me, a symphony of adrenaline and instinct.

I spotted a figure, oblivious to my presence.

My heart raced with the allure of the chase. I lunged forward with a growl rumbling from deep within as the night surrendered to my primal call.

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author

I love the line, “My heart raced with the allure of the chase.” Lots of beautiful lines scattered throughout..and the ending is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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The mind of a predator. Well done.

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Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

Pay back time

The farmer picked up the abandoned and famished wolf cub. His sheepdog had just got a litter. Lupin grew strong.The stealthy puma raided the sheep pen one night and took out the alpha with ease. Lupin growled at the predator who quickly retreated. A new alpha had been born.

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author

I really like Lupin’s ascension and story. Thanks for sharing, Sunil!

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Oct 19Liked by Justin Deming

Thanks Justin! Ascension and resurrection...

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Nice one.

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Thanks Mark! Wolf day afternoon:)

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Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

Faint Praise, Fiction

Our know-it-all neighbor describes black bears, ubiquitous in our suburban Florida backyards, as just big raccoons, ostensibly to de-escalate our fears and contrast them with their more carnivorous grizzly cousins. But to me it’s cold comfort imagining those sometimes obstreperous, oft-rabid, beady-eyed little bandits the size of a defensive tackle.

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Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

You got that right! Some of us are even scared of raccoons!

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Most animals are wild to me lol

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Respect the bears! They could take you out like a lineman.

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No lie, and outrun me 😎

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Red Tailed Hawk

The red-tailed hawk was on a low branch. He looked at me. I looked at him. We both wanted to know what the other was up to. Me, I was just out for a walk, no need to hunt, in this modern age. That’s not the way he saw things.

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author

Lovely contrast here. I was on a recent walk and had a similar stare down with a red-tailed hawk.

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True. Many animals still live the wild life, killing to survive.

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Skunk Me Out CNF

Bought bars of Irish Spring

Read skunks hate the smell

My presence chased the skunk from the cat food bowl

Beast is under the car and I am throwing chunks of soap at him

Sure this was not what was meant

But he is facing me so am I safe? yes?

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author

Oh my! I hope you made it out of that one okay. Thanks for sharing, Sharon! Oh, and is there any truth to the Irish Spring bit?

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I was OK, the skunk was in the confined area under the car and not really close. Supposedly the soap repels deer, squirrels, rabbits and rats. I had seen skunk mentioned earlier.

Have not seen the skunk in quite a while, soap chunks are still under the car, Car is not running.

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Oct 20Liked by Justin Deming

I use mothballs to good effect on skunks. Also, when a skunk nested under my shed, I ran a drop light under there and left it on for 48 hours. He went somewhere else. Kept him awake!

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Thanks, will get mothballs.

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Take Me to Your Leader (poetry)

I represent nobody

yes I grok your hive mind

release me from all your groupthink

I don't love earthlings enough

​I am a wild animal

refuse to surrender

to either your group or our government

am in the wrong place at the wrong time

just want to be writing poetry

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Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

Mad Skunk

The campers were roasting their candies with glee

Not seeing the creature stumbling through trees

He burst on the scene with a growl and a hiss

Drawn in by the aromas and sounds of bliss

Scared little kiddies ran wild cause of fear

As the Oreo beast snarling ran near.

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A mad skunk is not a happy camper. 😂

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Cute. Love the Oreo beast reference

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Oct 18·edited Oct 18Liked by Justin Deming

Trapped, Fiction

Her sweat is sticky, and cages surround her. She is in charge. They must stay inside their locked pens. A snarl! She slams the cougar’s cage! Another growl, Barely in time, snapping the cage closed. An ear splitting roar! Feeling the lion’s hot breath on her neck….she wakes up.

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Oooo! Scary. I can feel that hot breath!

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Thanks, Sharon....so can I! It was a very scary feeling, in my nightmare!

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Wow! Gave me the jitters

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author

Same here, Sunil. Excellent work, Sharon!

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Oct 19Liked by Justin Deming

Thank you, Justin! It was an actual nightmare I had many years ago...I still feel it!

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It was a scary nightmare, for sure! Thanks, Sunil!

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City Bound • Fiction

“I’ve had it with the so-called quiet life. I need some excitement. I’m moving to the city.”

“You just need to get out more often.”

“I tried. There isn’t much to do in the suburbs.”

“Being a city bunny sounds scary.”

“Then stay. But help me with this cage latch.”

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Oct 19Liked by Justin Deming

Whoa whoa whoa! Better think this through, bunny.

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Wild rabbits only live about two years. Seize the day!

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Really enjoyed your story, Justin. I’ll need to see what I can come up with 👍🏼

Interestingly, I’m currently reading, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. That whole tale is built around an Elk hunt and the aftermath on all of those that took part so the title of this post was interesting timing 🤔👍🏼😁

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author

Thank you, Daniel! Oh wow, that’s very strange timing indeed. Sounds like a great read!

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Fear In The Forest (Fiction)

The rumbling came through the dark forest. A cold wind almost whipped the sound away, but it was persistent and repeated. Fear rose within the breast of the young coyote, danger was nearby. Whipping his head around searching for the source of the sound he found nothing but his brother.

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