Stories to Astound You
by Jesse Eric Whitehead Saint Peter greets Pope Frances at the Pearly Gates with a warm embrace. “Welcome to heaven,” says Peter. “We weren’t expecting you quite so soon.” A choir of white-robed angels with harps strike up the heavenly...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead Chop. Chop. Chop. Ouch, that hurts! I look down at my trunk to see men standing at the base. One man is swinging a large ax at me. Chop. Chop. Chop. With each bite of the...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead After two hours of digging in the blistering tropical sun, my shovel hit something hard and shuddered with a dull thunk. I carefully removed dirt, gradually revealing an ancient-looking wooden chest, fastened with a large rusted...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead Tony watched the evening news, amused as the Secretary of Education referred to “A1” instead of “AI” in a discussion about technology in schools. He rolled his eyes at her gaff. Suddenly, he craved a juicy...
By Jesse Eric Whitehead I hoist the bulging bags of recycling with each hand, and head for the front door, the clinking sounds of glass and metal filling the air. “What a racket,” says my roommate Matt, lazily sprawled out...
By Jesse Eric Whitehead I hold her hand, barely able to see her closed eyes in the dim light as she sleeps, so peaceful and still. I marvel at her sight; she is every bit as beautiful now as the...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead I put on my jacket, gloves, and baseball cap and headed out the door. Today I’m starting my new job, and it’s going to be a little chilly outside. Better button up. A five-minute drive later,...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead “Run!” I followed our leader’s command and ran as fast as I could, my grandfather’s old 12-gauge shotgun in hand. Away from the advancing alien robot army, towards the safety of the concrete barricades about 100...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead The left turn signal light flashed in sync with the rhythmic tick, tick, tick. I looked over my shoulder to the left, then stepped on the gas to merge onto the Northbound State Highway 99 towards...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead I see the orange ball crest the distant city skyline, and I look at my dashboard clock. Crap, I’m going to be late. I’m caught in the morning traffic rush, but there’s nothing rush about it–it’s...
Jesse Eric Whitehead Last night was cold, but not so cold that we couldn’t go outside and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime show. We watched in awe as millions of tiny shooting stars showered us with a dazzling display of light. The...
By Jesse Eric Whitehead I’m being watched. I feel eyes on me, studying my every move. I look around my little apartment again. Searching for a bug, a hidden camera, a microphone. Anything. I find nothing. Am I going crazy?...
By Jesse Eric Whitehead The alarm buzzed, shattering my sleep. 6 a.m. already? I groaned, rolled out of bed, and headed to the bathroom. Something caught the corner of my eye. I saw my shadow dart away from me and...
By Jesse Eric Whitehead I turn the doorknob on the closed door, afraid to see what might be on the other side. The door creaks on its ancient hinges. I take a step forward into the inky blackness, illuminated only...
By Jesse Eric Whitehead Today is my birthday. My guests gather around me at the table, all in good spirits. I’m so glad they are here to celebrate with me today. Birthdays only come once a year, you know. “Make...
By Jesse Eric Whitehead Karol whistled as she peered at her laptop. “Hey, fun fact, honey. It’s 100,000 miles long.” Andy looked up from his tablet, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Thanks for the compliment, dear.” “No silly, not...
by Jesse Eric Whitehead I open the bag and pour the three thousand jigsaw pieces onto the dining room table. This is going to be a challenge, trying to assemble the puzzle without the reference photo on the box cover....