I’m thrilled to say I finally sent off the short story, Some Old Ideas, for another anthology – this one’s all about sci-fi. Thrilled because the story’s done, and because, well, I must confess I like the way it turned out. Here’s a teaser, but you’ll have to wait a while for the whole thing – the anthology’s going to be reviewed for publication. If you like this, comment – it can’t hurt our chances to create a little buzz now!

Some Old Ideas

When Brian goes home for his father’s funeral, the old man appears from out of time to shoot him. Brian must confront the ghosts he left behind in his hometown before he can discover the truth about his father, and himself.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“Who?”

“My dad. Where is he? Did they get him?”

“Brian, your dad’s dead and buried. Remember? We were at his grave when you were -” he seemed unsure of how to say the next part. “When you were hurt. Remember?”

“I remember, Danny, then the dead bastard showed up and shot me.”

His face registered something like shock, and that’s when the bustling nurse came back.

“Well, hello there,” she said to me, and then without missing a beat, “Go easy on him,” to Danny. She turned back to me. “You need your rest, but I’ll get the doctor to come check on you. No, don’t say anything.” She gave Danny a look, like he might push bamboo skewers under my fingernails to get me to talk if she didn’t chide him not to, and she bustled away.

“Danny,” I started.

“She’s right, man, you’ve been through a lot – shot at your father’s funeral, by some crazy idiot criminal. Rest, Brian, we’ll talk later.”

“It was my dad, Danny, you’ve got to believe me.” Then something in the needle the nurse put in my arm took hold, and I drowsed back into a fitful half-sleep.

But I knew. My dad had died, been buried, then returned to try to kill me.

How does a man show up at his own funeral?