<![CDATA[Musings+ : Short Stories]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/s/short-storieshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WrKk!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90ef74a4-5ace-4381-8e40-3fe831276322_608x608.pngMusings+ : Short Storieshttps://markmusing.substack.com/s/short-storiesSubstackSat, 18 Jul 2026 22:21:43 GMT<![CDATA[Shadows on the Prairie]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/shadows-on-the-prairie-886https://markmusing.substack.com/p/shadows-on-the-prairie-886Thu, 02 Jan 2025 01:39:44 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: Shadows on the Prairie
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[Who can you trust, was she for real, who was that man and the food was to die for ... ]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/who-can-you-trust-was-she-for-realhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/who-can-you-trust-was-she-for-realSun, 01 Dec 2024 23:15:51 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: Who can you trust, was she for real, who was that man and the food was to die for ...
This is a follow-on piece/conclusion to last week’s story:

ONE STEP AT A TIME; wipe the blade

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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[ONE STEP AT A TIME; wipe the blade]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/one-step-at-a-time-wipe-the-blade-186https://markmusing.substack.com/p/one-step-at-a-time-wipe-the-blade-186Sun, 24 Nov 2024 22:09:36 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: ONE STEP AT A TIME; wipe the blade
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[END OF THE LINE]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/end-of-the-line-806https://markmusing.substack.com/p/end-of-the-line-806Sat, 16 Nov 2024 06:55:58 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: END OF THE LINE
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Mark...

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]]><![CDATA[RECIPE FOR MURDER]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/recipe-for-murderhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/recipe-for-murderSat, 09 Nov 2024 21:21:07 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: RECIPE FOR MURDER
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Mark

RECIPE FOR MURDER

a short story by Mark Kolke

The letter was . . . addressed:

Chef Sven Scrivener

Claim Staker Café

2110 – 2nd Avenue

Whitehorse, Yukon

Y1A 1B9

Dear Chef,

I would like to journey to see you, sir, in the course of seeking employment, in response to your advertisement last week in the Nome Nugget - I would like to be employed as your sous-chef, to assist you and learn your craft, and in this sir, I would be in your debt.  I am young and lack formal training and commercial experience of any kind, but I assure you I am a fine cook.

I have wished to be a chef for some time now. I have made some dishes of my own invention which have pleased some friends and family here, but it is impossible to find a position in this pitiful place. There isn’t a good place to eat for four hundred miles or more and I don’t have the wherewithal to start a place of my own.  And, more than that, I need training before I would dare risk opening a restaurant.

I considered work on a fishing boat or cruise ship – lots of them come through here – but I can’t swim and I get seasick.  I need my feet on firm ground.

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]]><![CDATA[Rx XXX]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/rx-xxxhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/rx-xxxSat, 02 Nov 2024 23:56:07 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: Rx XXX

WARNING: This story has content which may be offensive to some; it contains graphic sexual content and language which may not be suitable for the sensibilities of some readers. It is absolutely inappropriate for readers under eighteen years of age, and for many over that age as well. - also, seniors with a cardiac condition might want to break out their pills, draw the curtains closed …

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Mark

Rx XXX

a short story by Mark Kolke

He’s not the same today – nice for a change.

Why? 

He was acting like a character in one of those erectile dysfunction TV ads, where there is something different, and nobody can figure out what is going on . . . maybe he’s taking the magic blue pill?

Something’s up.

He usually wields words like a sword; two-edged, one razor sharp for beheadings and body swipes, the other - wide and blunt for bludgeoning skull-shattering blows or knee-capping.  No Mongol warlord or mob hitman; worse, he’s my editor. . at a mediocre one-movie-a-week porn flick factory in the valley.  Hell, I’m getting cavalier about this. It’s crap. It’s all crap, but that’s what I’ve been doing for the last nine months and I’ve become numb to it.

But, for some reason, he’s softer, low-energy today, like a sluggish engine down a quart.  His usual demeanour – which is to say, the more intense he gets, de-meaner he gets . . . is muted. Hmm.

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]]><![CDATA[LOVE WOVEN COTTON]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/love-woven-cottonhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/love-woven-cottonSat, 26 Oct 2024 22:21:48 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: LOVE WOVEN COTTON
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[TROPHY WIFE]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/trophy-wifehttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/trophy-wifeSun, 20 Oct 2024 15:34:58 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: TROPHY WIFE
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[ROHDE TRIP]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/rohde-triphttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/rohde-tripSat, 12 Oct 2024 19:55:03 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: ROHDE TRIP
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[GRACE LOUISE]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/grace-louisehttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/grace-louiseSat, 05 Oct 2024 20:01:15 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: GRACE LOUISE
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[PALE MOON]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/pale-moonhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/pale-moonSun, 29 Sep 2024 05:00:02 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: PALE MOON
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[ONE SWEET POTATO]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/one-sweet-potatohttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/one-sweet-potatoSat, 21 Sep 2024 10:16:00 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: ONE SWEET POTATO
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[PRECIOUS DAWN]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/precious-dawnhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/precious-dawnSat, 14 Sep 2024 12:53:03 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: PRECIOUS DAWN
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[EXAMINED LIFE, OFF AND ON]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/examined-life-off-and-onhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/examined-life-off-and-onSat, 07 Sep 2024 10:15:47 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: EXAMINED LIFE, OFF AND ON
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[BABCOCK’S DISQUIET]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/babcocks-disquiethttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/babcocks-disquietSat, 31 Aug 2024 10:15:56 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: BABCOCK’S DISQUIET
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[BABCOCK’S BIG TRIP]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/babcocks-big-triphttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/babcocks-big-tripSat, 24 Aug 2024 10:16:48 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: BABCOCK’S BIG TRIP
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[BUSHWACKED IN FLATHEAD COUNTY]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/bushwacked-in-flathead-countyhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/bushwacked-in-flathead-countySat, 17 Aug 2024 10:15:52 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: BUSHWACKED IN FLATHEAD COUNTY
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Mark

…. Part two of a story – the sequel to FLATHEAD MURDERS 

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]]><![CDATA[FLATHEAD MURDERS]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/flathead-murdershttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/flathead-murdersSat, 10 Aug 2024 10:15:39 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: FLATHEAD MURDERS
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[LAW OF ATTRACTION]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/law-of-attractionhttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/law-of-attractionSat, 03 Aug 2024 10:16:01 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: LAW OF ATTRACTION
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Mark

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]]><![CDATA[SEAT 21C]]>https://markmusing.substack.com/p/seat-21chttps://markmusing.substack.com/p/seat-21cSat, 27 Jul 2024 10:15:26 GMTWelcome to Short Stories - on the Musings + publishing platform on Substack.
This week’s short story title: SEAT 21C [ Part 1 of a 2-Part series]
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Mark

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