When Josh Sterling’s great-grandfather leaves him a huge old Victorian house in rural Wisconsin, Josh has only one thought in mind. Fix up the old place and sell it as quickly as possible so he can return to his real life in Michigan.

One of the requirements of his great-grandpa’s will is that he hires A.J. James and crew to do the needed repairs on the house. That’s fine with Josh until he discovers A.J. is really Annie James, a cute little coverall-wearing gal who may not look it but knows her construction business. At first, Josh is hesitant about hiring her, but since he doesn’t feel he has any choice because of his great-grandfather’s directive, he accepts her estimate. His main focus is just to get the work done as quickly as possible.

It doesn’t take long before Josh realizes there is a definite spark between him and Annie, but they both seem determined to ignore the attraction. Then strange romantic notes begin appearing in various spots in the house, and once Josh starts hearing strange noises at night, he begins to wonder if there’s more going on in the house than what he thinks.

The more Josh and Annie start digging into the house’s history, the more they are drawn into the past and to each other. What about Josh’s vow to sell the house as soon as he gets it fixed up? And what secrets is the house hiding, and will Josh and Annie be able to discover what they are? If they do, what will it mean for their growing friendship?

“Joshua’s Legacy” is a tale that enforces the belief that true love never dies.

Targeted Age Group:: Young adult to adult

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
It originally didn't start out as a paranormal book, but the more I got into the story, the more it evolved.

How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I'm not sure where the characters came from. The story all began with the house and just went from there.

Book Sample
Chapter 1:

Josh

I stood in the front yard of my great-grandfather’s house and stared at the structure before me. The old house was in far worse shape than I remembered. Of course, it had been more than a decade since I was last there to visit. I had been a fifteen-year-old teenager back then, not in the least bit impressed that I had to spend my entire summer with a man who was, at least as far as I was concerned, older than time.
Now the house was mine. The question was, what in the world was I going to do with it?
I was a CPA—an accountant. Not a contractor. Furthermore, I lived in a suburb just outside of Detroit, Michigan, not out here in the middle of Nowhere, Wisconsin.
This rural area I suddenly found myself located in wasn’t exactly my style. Open fields spread out on three sides of the house with a large wooded area behind. A narrow dirt road ran out front of the house, which eventually—like three miles down the road—led to a paved road that led to town.
Nope. Not my style at all.
Walking across the front yard's too-tall grass that hadn’t seen a lawnmower in who-knew-when, I stood at the base of the wide wooden steps leading up to the front porch of the house and released a sigh.
Great-grandpa, what were you thinking?
The house had been built by William Sterling, my great-great-grandfather, who was the father of Joshua Calvin Sterling—the man for whom I was named. Old Joshua had passed away a month ago at the ripe, old age of ninety-three. Evidently, I had been his favorite great-grandchild because he’d left me all his earthly possessions. Of course, the fact that I was his only great-grandchild might have had something to do with the fact that he’d left me this monstrosity.
And, there was that being named after him thing.
But looking at the faded white paint peeling off the wooden siding of the huge two-and-a-half-story Victorian Queen Anne house in front of me, I was beginning to wonder if great-grandpa hadn’t liked me as much as I’d always thought.
My grandfather, the first Joshua’s son, had passed on before Great-grandpa, as had my father, Calvin Sterling. And I was an only child. That left only two of us in the family who were still on earth; My mom, who was retired and living a life of relaxation in a mobile home park in Florida, wasn’t the least interested in owning an old house in Wisconsin.
And me.
Releasing a sigh of resignation, I trudged up the wooden steps and onto the front porch to stand in front of the huge front door. The family attorney had handed me the key earlier in the day when I had met him at his office. At that time, he had assured me the house was all mine. Like I’d won the Publishers Clearing House prize or something.
Of course, my original plan had been to leave rural America this afternoon and head home to Michigan—right after the reading of Great-grandpa’s will. Well, it didn’t look like that was happening anytime soon—at least, until I could figure out what to do with a four thousand plus square foot 1900 Victorian mansion in need of a great deal of work. Hopefully, I could get the place fixed up quickly, get her sold, and then return to my previously-scheduled life.
I had other things to do. I really didn’t have time for all this. But Great-grandpa had trusted me enough to leave it to me, so I knew I had to take care of the situation.
I put the key in the door lock, half-expecting it not to work, but the tumblers turned easily, and the lock clicked with a satisfying sound. Turning the knob, I pushed open the heavy oak door, not having any idea of what I’d find on the other side.
The first thing I noticed was the musty, stale smell of a house closed up for a long time. Great-grandpa had spent the past three years of his life in an assisted living facility in a nearby town, so the house had been empty. Oh, the furniture and my great-grandfather’s belongings were all still here, but no one had lived in it since he’d moved out.
His attorney, a weaselly-looking man, named Arthur Blake—who had told me to call him Art—had informed me the house had been checked weekly by a management company. But by the looks of the dust on the scratched hardwood floors in front of me, they hadn’t done much in the way of cleaning in a long time. Or done anything about mowing the grass.
Stepping further into the house, I allowed my eyes to scan the foyer where an open oak staircase led to the next floor. I remembered how the stairs went up to a landing before turning to go up the rest of the way. At the point where it turned was what I’d always thought was one of the house's most beautiful features—a gorgeous stained-glass window. Rectangular shaped at the bottom, intersected at the top with a circle—all encased in gorgeous oak trim. Well, when I was young, it used to be beautiful. I hated to see what type of shape it was in now.
Dropping my suitcase onto the dusty floor, I released another sigh. I was tired, and I was not in the mood to deal with the house tonight. The first thing I was going to do was make my way up that staircase to the bedroom that used to be mine when I visited and hope that the sheets on the bed were somewhat clean.
Before I did that, though, my curiosity got the better of me, and I turned and walked from the foyer into the front room of the house. Canvas dust covers were draped across all the furniture, so I couldn’t really see much. But that was okay. I felt it was a good thing that they were covered as that meant eventually, when I wanted to use this room, I’d be able to find a chair to sit in that didn’t have six inches of dust on it.
Although I was a little concerned about mice. Maybe the first thing I needed to do was buy a cat.
The good news was, someone was supposed to show up tomorrow to clean the place. Mr. Blake—Art—had already made a call to a local yokel to take care of that problem. Maybe after the place was scrubbed and clean, I wouldn’t find it all so depressing.
Walking over and standing in front of the bay window, I gazed through the dirty glass at the view I remembered so well from my younger days. This side of the house faced the west, and the rosy glow of the sun dropping to the horizon cast an other-worldly aura across the open fields. By the short brown stalks still remaining in the ground, I could tell that the land on this side of the house had once held wheat. It was too bad I hadn’t been here earlier in the summer as there wasn’t anything I enjoyed seeing more than a ripe field of wheat, ready for harvest.
The scene out the window instantly calmed my soul, and for the first time that day, I felt as if I was exactly where I was supposed to be—at least for the moment.
But for right now, I was going to carry my suitcase upstairs and see if I could find a bed. And hopefully, a bathroom with running water. I was also hoping it wouldn’t be too much to ask of the universe that a hot shower would be available.
 

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Author Bio:
C. M. Morgan is the pseudonym of an author popular in another genre.

His stories are paranormal romances–without all the gratuitous sex scenes found in so many others. Just good, clean enjoyable reading!

Author Home Page Link

It is a book of short stories where each story deals with a specific example of corruption, hypocrisy, delusion or insanity, often all of the above. The opening story, “Diary of a Man Who Set Out to Prove the Earth is Flat” is a satire of flat earthers and is about an explorer who embarks on a voyage to confirm to the world what he knows to be true. The expedition goes other than well. The other stories are, “The Church Of The Resurrection Inc.”, “The Persarius Experiment”, “Three 10 Minute Plays About Donald J.erkass Drumpf” which are three plays that serve as a not so fond farewell to Donald Trump’s disgraceful, embarrassing fiasco of a presidency, and the final story is, “Exploring the Mysteries of Space: You Might Not Like What You Find”. All stories are presented humorously, and at times the humor can be quite dark. Though all stories don’t focus directly on current events, the book seeks to capture the essence of the calamity and absurdity and abject, inconceivable irrationality and disturbing stupidity of the present day. It is $0.99 and is free with KindleUnlimited.

Targeted Age Group:: 15+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
It wasn’t so much a question of what inspired me to write the book as some of the stories were already written, it was when Donald Trump was actually defeated that I decided I wanted to create a full book and publish it to commemorate the occasion.

How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
I got the idea for the story and the characters pretty much created themselves.

Book Sample
Diary of a Man Who Set Out to Prove the Earth is Flat
by Mark Comstock

Greetings. It is I, the renowned explorer, Trepidus Turnesidus. I am about to embark upon the most important, momentous expedition of my career, one that will uncover truths of life and the universe so that no one will ever see things the same way again. My findings will be truly groundbreaking and revolutionary and upon completion of my journey all textbooks will have to be rewritten and all understanding of the world revised to reflect the indisputable proof I shall present. You see, I am a member of a secret society and we are the true crusaders to reveal actual fact. Science is but a mind control tool the powers who wish to control you use to force their thoughts into your mind and make you believe their lies. But, I set off on my expedition this day to uncover the lies and show the world the truth for that is the ultimate goal of the society of which I am a member. I state proudly, I am a member of the Devoted Unilateral Manipulators Beyond Anti-Science Sacrament Enlightenment Society. So follow my quest which I shall detail from entries in my journal that I will carry with me as I put to rest one of the greatest lies of all time. Read on and I will prove to all beyond any shadow of a doubt the truth that the earth is actually flat, not round as they would like you to believe. Yes, this I will do, marching proudly with the banner of the Devoted Unilateral Manipulators Beyond Anti-Science Sacrament Enlightenment Society, more commonly known by our acronym, D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S. For we are the real revealers of truth and fact. Yes, we are D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S and I am a member of this secret society. And we are here to show you what is really true. So join me on my journey, will you? Let the D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S show you the way. The truth awaits…

Day 1: I loaded supplies for the journey, placing them in my backpack. It was certain to be a lengthy voyage, requiring more than I myself could carry on my person so I enlisted the services of a sherpa and he carried the remainder of what I, myself could not bear the weight of. Actually, in truth, he really carried the bulk of the supplies which were stacked upon a large sled which would be tied around him and he would pull with each step. All preparations had been finalized. It was time for the voyage to begin, the voyage to prove, once and for all, that the earth was indeed flat. “Tallyho, loyal sherpa, we are off on our journey of utmost importance, to prove once and for all and shine the light of truth upon the ignorant and prove that the earth is flat. Let us begin!” I enthusiastically announced. My loyal sherpa associate dutifully concurred, eager to begin our voyage to bring truth to the scandalous lies that the conspiracy of the scientific elite had deceived the public with, their ludicrous notion that the earth was actually oval. Though, in that moment, my loyal sherpa associate must have also seen someone else passing by because the look on his face was of utter disgust and disbelieving contempt as if he was looking at a total moron. And so, our adventure begins…

Day 2: Unfortunately the expedition team was forced to remain at base camp due to inclement weather conditions. It was an intensely severe storm that swept across the area, pounding the ground with a heavy rain that would indeed have made travel treacherous. It was agreed by the team that our mission would be better served after a night of sleep when conditions would be more advantageous to our endeavour. I feared that my sherpa associate might become dispirited with the delay of our expedition so I decided to deliver a rallying cry to stoke his enthusiasm,”Fear not, my loyal sherpa associate, we may have been delayed in beginning our quest, but I promise you, there are no forces upon this planet that will be able to deter us from seeing it through to the end. I swear to you that we will overcome whatever obstacle is thrown in our path and we will put an end to this diabolical conspiracy and silence all the deceitful scientists who seek only to promote this conspiracy with lies and dupe the public with this ridiculous idea that the earth is round, and through our noble undertaking we will reveal to the world, once and for all with indisputable fact that the earth is indeed flat. Tell me, loyal sherpa associate, what do you have to say about that?” Unfortunately, he took the news of the delayed onset of our expedition even worse than I thought because, at that point, he exited the tent of the base camp and went outside and sat beneath the rain all night, shaking his head with a despondent, disgusted grimace upon his face.

Day 7: We have actually been making good progress in terms of our quest, our foot travel having covered more ground than even I expected. For all those flat earth deniers out there, those who are blinded by the propaganda promoted by the freemason, Illuminati, scientist conspiracy, well allow me to shine light upon your darkness and open your eyes to the truth. At no point during our six days of walking did our steps follow a pattern that was elliptical. That’s right, my friends, what more proof do you need? The earth is indeed flat.

Day 11: I am sorry to say that we encountered the first obstacle to completing our mission this day as we faced a problem that stood in the way of our walking progress. That problem was that I and my loyal sherpa associate stood before a quite large body of water that blocked our path. Now, one might suggest that it was a predicament easily overcome by merely transferring ourselves to a boat until making it to the other side, but that was not possible for our findings to be indisputable and would corrupt the data that would prove our premise true. Why, I have, in my life, many times travelled by boat, often over great distances. I would even state that being on a boat provides some of the most direct and irrefutable circumstantial evidence of the world being flat. I mean, if you stand on the deck of a ship and look off into the distance, even if using binoculars, all you see is the flat ocean. Hmm, that’s funny, I mean, if the earth was actually round, wouldn’t I be able to see the point where the oval starts to form? But I don’t. Why the ocean just goes on and on, at no point curving, how very interesting. What more proof do you need? The earth is flat, my friends. This detail provides indisputable evidence that the earth is flat but it is circumstantial evidence and our goal here, our monumental undertaking, was to, once and for all unravel the web of lies and deceit that has been spun and held over the eyes of the people of the world. To do that, we needed direct, empiric evidence that the scientist conspiracy could not possibly provide any counter argument against with deceptive, rigged mathematical equations or lies. Why, we could arrive at our destination, proudly and triumphantly declaring, “See that, we have travelled the entire earth and at no point was it rounded, ha! We have proven the earth is flat.” To this they might then counter, “Well, yes, but there was that time you were on that boat. Why the movement of the boat on the water, and the gentle, peaceful motions, it creates a trick of the eye involving reflective terminology so that it only appeared to you that you were moving over flat waters but right there was the very point where the earth rounded around its oval trajectory. Now, we would have looked at your evidence from your travels and certainly there would have been no possible way for us to dispute your findings, only there was that time you were on that boat so we’re not going to listen to anything you have to say. ” So, no, we could not take that chance. We could not travel by boat. We had to find another way. I stood there on the shoreline, looking out at the water mass. I turned to the sherpa. “Come, my loyal sherpa associate, we must swim across the water mass to achieve the goal we seek.”

Day 15: Me and my loyal sherpa associate continue to swim across the mass of water we had encountered, as we had been doing the four days prior. As I swam, I turned to my loyal sherpa associate and spoke, “Do not worry, my loyal sherpa associate, it won’t be much further now, why I can actually see the shoreline up ahead and take pride, my loyal associate, for our efforts, though admittedly arduous will greatly aid us in proving our hypothesis. I mean, this body of water we have been swimming across these last five days, it certainly was flat, was it not. Ha, ha, ha,” I boisterously laughed. My loyal sherpa associate growled and shook his head. “No, no, no, don’t try to speak to express your disdain for the ignorant round earthers. I’m sure it would be quite difficult with the rope in your mouth.” My loyal sherpa associate had a rope in his mouth that he clenched with his teeth and that was connected to a raft he was pulling, which floated on the water behind us, upon which were our supplies for the mission. “Stay strong, my loyal sherpa associate for soon we shall reach dry, flat land!”

Day 16: As we continued to traverse the water body, I thought upon another of the great lies of the scientist conspiracy that, if true would have presented another potential peril in terms of our undertakings. Now, there are those out there in the “scientific” community who claim that man made climate change is creating global warming. They claim ridiculous conspiracy theories such as the world faces a threat of rising sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps where the waters contained within them will overflow and spill out upon the lands they are contained within. Therefore, if what this consortium of disinformation was saying was true, how could I and my loyal sherpa associate know that during our journey across the water mass this might not possibly happen? Well, this was not a fear in any way for me. The reason as to why I set out across the lake unafraid is from true, actual scientific research from another member of the D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S, the renowned senator Mo Brooks, who absolutely dispelled the climate change hoax presented by the uninformed when he brilliantly declared that rising sea levels were actually being caused by rocks falling into the ocean from the erosion of the sea wall of rock structures. You see, that is a cause of sea level rise that is easily explained by the D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S, the true purveyors of scientific understanding, not you supposed “scientists” who falsely claim it is occurring by man made actions. Though, now that I mention it, I suppose it could be stated it is occurring in part due to, not man made but child made activity from all the children on beaches, skipping rocks across the waves. “Hey, little Johnny, what the hell are you doing? Didn’t momma tell you not to skip those stones? Oh crap, you’ve doomed the planet to hell. Now the water is going to rise up and drown us all, thanks to you. Well done, little Johnny, you little jerk with your damn destructive stones!” We would not be in danger during our journey across the lake for there were no cliffs along its sides. Um, there also weren’t a bunch of kids on the water’s edge who were skipping stones into it. And please, as all us D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S know, the idea of global warming is just a hoax. Why this truth is so easily presented by senator James Inhofe during a senate hearing when he, to prove global warming was indeed a hoax, during the winter held up a snowball to make his visual display. I mean, see this, what’s this here? It’s a snowball. Now, if global warming was actually real, how could he be holding a snowball in his hand in Washington DC during the month of February. Ah, yes indeed, D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S, that there is a snowball that can exist during February is indisputable proof that global warming is just a hoax. Well played, D.U.M.B.A.S.S.E.S. Global warming is just a hoax that can only persuade the uninformed. Also, the earth is flat, my friends. Carry on, this fact will be proven.

Day 18: We reached the shore on the other side of the water mass we had started from. At this point, I suggested to my loyal sherpa associate that we rest for the remainder of the day and get some sleep considering we had been swimming nonstop the last seven days. My loyal sherpa associate obviously welcomed this news as he dropped the rope that had been carrying the raft with our supplies on it from his mouth. He was panting heavily and he sighed so intensely with relief and exhaustion that his expression could almost be mistaken for an anger filled scowl. His exhaustion in the next moment was impossible to miss as he slipped, lurching forward, his hand inadvertently striking me in the face and knocking me to the ground. I sat upon the ground and looked up at my loyal sherpa associate. “Worry not, loyal sherpa associate, I realize the toil of our efforts has taken a toll and you have lost control of bodily movement. But, I assure you, it is a small price to pay to realize the majesty of our endeavours. And so, as I sit here on this undeniably flat ground, I implore you to never lose faith in the importance of our mission. Never despair, loyal sherpa associate for we will achieve our goal in the end and show to all the ignorant, non-thinkers controlled by the conspiracy of scientists that the earth is indeed flat! Tell me, are you with me, loyal sherpa associate?” My loyal sherpa associate must have been really, really tired because at that moment, he again slipped, losing control of his leg which swung through the air, hitting me in the head, knocking me unconscious.

Day 21: I sat upon a folding chair, intently examining a map that was laid out on a small, collapsible table. I examined the map, trying to figure out what the next steps of our route should be to achieve our goal. I knew there were many established methods that had been utilized over the centuries to correctly interpret maps but I immediately discarded all these methods. You see, they were all deceptions promoted by the nefarious scientist conspiracy and were all based on the notion that the world was round, something I knew was a blatant lie. No, I had a better way. I would go with my gut, for inside I knew what was actually true, not any of that drivel spewing from the mouths of the “scientists”. Yes, I indeed knew better than them. I looked upon the map and smugly nodded my head. I knew where it was that we should go. I chuckled and announced out loud, “Oh scientists of the world, prepare to look like fools.”

Day 23: I am sorry to say that the expedition of myself and my loyal sherpa associate encountered a significant problem that greatly imperiled our mission. I awoke to the new day to begin our journey across a treacherous desert region. I had informed my loyal sherpa associate that we would begin this leg of our journey at the break of dawn. I had somehow mistakenly believed the large land mass we were approaching was actually a forest region with many freshwater lakes and rivers and therefore had not bothered to refill our water supplies. For the both of us, we had about a quarter of a liter that would be all we would have to sustain us on our travels as we crossed the many mile desert region. I reassured my loyal sherpa associate that there was no cause for concern because when our water supplies ran out, we would simply drink our own urine, for we would do whatever was necessary to complete our mission and prove to the world, once and for all, that the earth was indeed flat. To rouse my loyal sherpa associate’s enthusiasm, I stirringly pronounced, “Our mission and goal is far too important. We must bring an end to the conspiracy and so we will gladly and proudly drink our own urine in the name of truth. Tell me, my loyal sherpa associate, are you with me?” At that point, my loyal sherpa associate snarled, had some sort of bizarre muscle spasm that caused the middle finger of both hands to thrust up with all other fingers folded as he growled and then he had another bizarre muscle spasm where his right arm swung towards me, striking me and knocking me to the ground. My loyal sherpa associate then marched off in the opposite direction from where we were heading. My loyal sherpa associate was gone. Unfortunately, my loyal sherpa associate was not up for the rigors we would have to endure to prove to the people the truth we knew, that the earth was flat. I realized that it was now up to me to complete the mission. Without the assistance of my associate it was guaranteed to be a far more arduous journey. I must confess to feeling some unease in terms of whether, by myself, I would be able to complete the travels. There were moments where I asked myself whether it might be wise to abandon the quest. These worries were never given any serious consideration. The mission was far too important. My travels would certainly be more difficult and the adversity would, without question, be far greater but I would find a way and would persevere and overcome all obstacles. Whatever I had to do, however I had to improvise, I would find a solution to whatever problem I was presented with and, by God, I would prove to the world that the earth was flat.

Day 24: I have yet to set out to cross the desert. I encountered a problem that forced me to remain overnight in the place I had been as I tried to figure out what to do. The problem I encountered was that it turns out I was not actually physically able to pull the sled my sherpa associate had been pulling upon which were the supplies for the expedition. I spent the day loading what I deemed most essential that would fit in a backpack I would have with me as I continued on. The rest had to be left behind. I finished the remaining drops from the water supplies and set off to begin to cross the desert. Oh yes, do not worry, people of the world, I will uncover the lie that they have deceived you with all these years and prove to you the truth that the earth is flat.

Day 28: I continued my travels across the desert. The journey up till this point had indeed been brutal. The sun was very intense and the temperature soared up into the 90s and beyond on a daily basis. I was extremely weary from my efforts but knew that I must press on. I stopped and stared into the distance, hoping that I could see the end of the desert region. I did not. All that I could see before me was sand stretching out to the horizon. But, you know what else I saw? The horizon itself. Was the horizon rounded? No, it was not. This very much increased my resolve. I nodded my head with determination and realized that a urine break was what was needed before continuing on. Oh boy, yeah, I really wish I had refilled the water supplies before setting out to cross the desert.

Day 35: I staggered across the desert, my weak legs straining and stumbling. It had been several days since I had eaten. All I had to sustain myself was my own urine which I would then drink. The problem was that, beneath the weight of the sun, and from my efforts, I really was actually urinating very rarely. I was breathing very heavily as I struggled to continue forward. I felt as if I was going to collapse. I dug down deep to keep myself going, for if I was to succumb to my weariness and drop to the sand, the mission would be ended and my goal would remain unfulfilled and the people of the world would never know the truth that the earth was flat. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to keep going. I had to keep fighting. I couldn’t give up. I staggered across the sand, struggling with every ounce of strength to keep moving forward. My steps became clumsy, confused, I stumbled, I fell. I dropped to the sand and lay there on my back, just staring up into the sky, directly into the sun, panting heavily, my limbs drained of all energy and strength, unable to move. I sighed despondently. It was over. My quest had failed, a quest I had set out upon with such noble aspirations, to prove to the world that the earth was flat would not be realized and I deeply regretted that I was not able to fulfill my task and bring the patrons of this world out of darkness and into the light. As I lay there on the desert sand, my eyes began to close as I settled into my own forever darkness. At that moment though, I heard a voice call out to me, “No, Mr. Turnesidus, you can’t give up, you can never give up until you have reached your goal, to prove to the world that the earth is flat, you can never give up. Your mission is too important for that.” My eyes opened as the blurred picture in front of me gained clarity. I could not believe what it was I saw. “I cannot believe it, my loyal sherpa associate, you have come back to rejoin the mission.” I excitedly exclaimed. My loyal sherpa associate spoke again, “That I have, Mr. Turnesidus. Why, the mission is far too important in terms of the name of truth and the good of humanity for you to ever quit. You must see your mission through.” I felt inspired. “But then, you’ve rejoined the mission, my loyal sherpa associate, so then you can assist me in reaching our goal. Could you possibly start by going back and retrieving the sled that had the supplies for the voyage on it, well, that and also to refill our water supply, I’m really getting sick of drinking my own urine.” My loyal sherpa associate shook his head. “No, Mr. Turnesidus, I cannot do that. This is a journey you must make by yourself. Deep down inside, you knew this was the case for you truly are the only person on the planet who can prove the world is flat. It is your calling. It is your destiny. And it is a journey only you can make.” “Wait, please, the travel has been even more treacherous without your assistance. Please reconsider, my loyal sherpa associate.” I pleaded with him. “My name is Sherka, by the way, Mr. Turnesidus.” my loyal sherpa associate announced. I looked upon him with confusion. “Um, wait, so then you’re a sherka, not a sherpa?” My loyal sherpa associate shook his head. “No, I am a sherpa but my name is Sherka. I was just pointing that out so you would no longer refer to me as your loyal sherpa associate.” “Um, so then you’re a sherpa whose name is Sherka?” I asked. Sherka nodded his head. “Yes, Mr. Turnesidus, I am a sherpa named Sherka. But I am more than that, Mr. Turnesidus, I am also your personal spiritual guide and shaman.” To this information, I reacted with amazement. “Wait, wait, so then you’re my loyal associate, personal spirit guide, shaman sherpa named Sherka?” Sherka nodded his head. “That I am, Mr. Turnesidus, and I have returned to provide the guidance so that you will be able to carry on and see your quest through until the end. The power has always been inside you, Mr. Turnesidus, always remember that. You are the last dragon. You are the oompa loompa who made the basketball team. You are the king of Woopie Hoopie Shoopieville and you wurk blarm phlaaah. And it is only you who can reach the noble and glorious goal of proving to the world that the earth is flat. So come, Mr. Turnesidus, dig down deep and find the strength to continue on your quest. Your work is far too important to ever quit.” I looked at my loyal associate, spirit guide, shaman sherpa named Sherka and nodded my head. “Thank you, Sherka. I always knew that your presence on the expedition was integral for its success but I now realize that your physical presence isn’t what is necessary, because you will always be there with me as my spiritual guide and will always be leading the way. I’m ready now, Sherka, I’m ready to rejoin the mission and reveal to all upon the world how they have been deceived. By God, my trusted spirit guide, shaman sherpa named Sherka, I won’t let you down. I declare to you in no uncertain terms, the mission will be a success!” Sherka nodded happily. “That’s wonderful, Mr. Turnesidus. Now you go get’em and give’em hell. Hurry, Mr. Turnesidus, for the sake of the mission, get to it and show the world the lies they have been taught. Hurry, Mr. Turnesidus, hurry, with Godspeed go and show the people of the world the earth is flat.” I raised myself from the sand and unleashed a primal scream then took off running across the sands, under the light of the moon, beneath the darkened sky.

Day 37: I took my first steps out of the desert and stood within an area that had actual vegetation growing. I had made it. I had overcome the desert trials and the expedition would indeed carry on to its glorious, groundbreaking conclusion. I sighed with relief. I smiled contentedly. I knew in this moment, I would now be able to see the mission through to the end. It was time to begin the next steps of my expedition, but, my travels across the desert had left me drained. Before beginning my next steps in my quest to prove the truth, I realized that what was needed was an aid to provide physical sustenance. I pulled out and drank long from my bottle. Oh boy and holy shit, I really, really wish I had refilled my water supplies before stepping out upon that desert.

Day 39: My quest continued. The terrain over which I travelled was far more welcoming. I found a water source and filled my bottles from it. Admittedly, the crossing of the desert had been a treacherous trial but I had overcome it and continued forward with a renewed vigor. It would be much easier going from here on out and my steps were powered by an unflinching confidence that there was nothing that could prevent me from reaching my goal and proving to the world that the earth was flat.

Day 40: Got attacked by a bear today. Apparently I had unknowingly crossed into a bear family’s area. As I walked, I saw a very young, small bear stumbling about, oblivious to my presence. I suppose I realized that the prudent thing to do would be to make my way out of the area before the bear spotted me but it was such an awfully cute sight to encounter, I couldn’t help myself and instead just remained there gazing upon the majestic sight of nature. I suppose, realizing it was an unwise move, I then approached the baby bear and stood right before it, waiting until it made eye contact with me. I suppose I also, even though it was an undeniably sweet moment, but I suppose I realized that my next action of reaching my hand down toward the baby bear and petting it on the head while saying, “Whoosha woosha cutie bear, yousha woosha cutie bear” was probably an unwise move. My words were followed by two thunderous roars from behind me. I quickly spun around to see two mammoth bears standing on their hind legs, waving their front paws at me threateningly as they towered over me. They lunged at me and down a towering hill I fell, tumbling end over end until I crashed to the bottom. Now, I know what some out there might be thinking, ‘Wait a second, you just said you tumbled down a hill after being confronted by two grizzly bears who didn’t want you petting their baby cub. That’s the craziest story I’ve ever heard. Because, if there was a steep hill then that would prove the earth isn’t actually flat, after all.’ Oh, but how mistaken you would be for the premise I seek to prove is that the earth is not round, it is indeed flat. I never postulated that it wasn’t at times also bumpy. Flat it indeed is and this episode, far from dispelling the truth I seek to reveal to the world, actually reinforces it, for when the ground began to rise from the flat earth, did it then continue in an elliptical shape to the other side of the globe, no, that it did not, upon reaching its peak it very soon descended back down. Bumpy, my friends. The earth can be a little bumpy at times but ultimately it is flat, not an oval. Who out there can still doubt my proclamation?

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Author Bio:
I have fourteen self-published books. This is my second book published under the name, Mark Comstock. I have six books published under the name, Aaron Aaronson and six books published under the, in no way idiotic name, Xavier Cockroachal Damon. My writing usually involves a lot of dark comedy, often very dark. It is unconventional and uncompromising, pulls no punches and can be very absurd. I freely admit it will not be for everyone. I do not write genre fiction. I am absolutely horrible when it comes to self-promotion. I suppose, someone who is looking for something different, off the beaten path, and that doesn’t insist on viewing the world through rose tinted lenses might be interested in the books I have written but, even in saying that, ultimately I have no idea what anyone will or will not like. You may hate it, for all I know. As said, I’m really not particularly good at self-promotion. I find the notion of delivering self-praising platitudes to myself to be loathsome and demeaning. But, in the end, we all are what we are and can’t be anything else. To do otherwise would be a lie. Then again, many people seem hellbent set on pretending they are someone else and have no problem lying every other word out of their mouth. In closing, who am I? I am me. I’m also a massive cynic and an unapologetic atheist.

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