A pyre was erected and the witch was brought forward. It was Winter. My Winter. Warmth filled me and I ran forward without thinking, the heat increasing with each step.

I was too far away. A torch was lit and the blistering heat spread through my body.

The guard bent to light the pyre and the heat consumed me. Guards burst into flame and I laughed. It felt like coming inside on a cold day.

The fire stopped. Winter stared, mouth open. My head spun. What just happened? The crowd shrank back in fear.

Then someone yelled, “Witch!”

Uh-oh.

Author’s Note: What if you became the thing everyone called a monster?

Categories: Fiction, Mike Mankoff | No Comments »

A blinding flash, a surge of heat, and then an explosion. At first I thought it was a plane, but it didn’t look like one. It looked like….something else.

A small figure, apparently unconcerned by the heat, walked out of the smoke. I saw green skin and wide eyes. First contact.

“Get the kids out of here,” I told Mary.

I clenched my fists, ready for an attack. I saw Independence Day. I knew.

It raised its arm. I made myself stand still.

“Hi,” it said in perfect English. “What’s your name?”

The world went black as I fainted.

Author’s Note: What if aliens were friendly?

Categories: Fiction, Mike Mankoff | No Comments »