Michael Howell

Dare... the new Twin Peaks?

In this recent review of Dare by "A Book for Every Season," I was both surprised and flattered by the comparison of my book to the 90's TV series Twin Peaks. I'm thrilled that the reviewer connected with the story in this way and found echoes of the Twin Peaks vibe in the pages of "Dare." Thank you to "A Book for Every Season" for such an insightful review!

Dare by Michael Edwin Howell — Book for Every Season LINKS: Amazon.com

In the town of Fairmont, Jack gives Emily a lift home from school.

“Let’s drive to the river and watch the eclipse,” Emily says.

A great idea, Jack thinks.

Jack lowers the truck tailgate. “Em” supplies the glasses. They stare over the river, lost in anticipation and hormones.

When the moon obscures the sun, a glowing portal appears. Without being told, the teens understand this gateway, as fleeting as a rainbow, leads to universal wonders, a gift for those brave enough to enter.

The eclipse and portal fade, leaving nothing of Jack and Em but their glasses on the tailgate.

Mason Steele

Mason Steele, a drifter with a mysterious past, wandered into a small-town bar. He met Eva, a bartender with a hint of her own unspoken mysteries.

Two well-dressed men entered and flanked Mason.

“I take it you’re here for me,” Mason said, not breaking his gaze.

“No buddy. We’re here for her… and anyone who interferes.”

Mason replied calmly, “That would be me.”

A swift combination of punches, kicks, and stomps left both men on the floor. Eva grabbed Mason's hand and vaulted over the bar. They disappeared into the night, each eager to unravel the mysteries of the other.

Sparrows

In the heart of a dense forest, a truth is carried by the smallest of beings. A tiny bird ventures deep into the realm of the wolves.

The mighty predators roam these lands, their howls echoing like ancient songs. Yet, in their formidable presence, the tiny bird moves like a whisper, unharmed as if the forest itself wove a protective embrace around the delicate messenger.

In this untamed wilderness, the coexistence of featherweight courage and wolfish strength unfolds and tells a simple truth. The delicate balance of life and death plays out under watchful eyes, and no sparrow goes uncounted.

Redemption - Chapter 6

The good doctor’s news had not been good. The bullet still in Blackwater Jack’s head could shift with any blow, killing him. To live, he must put away his violent vices.

He preferred death.

In front of town hall, he pulled Mayor Dawson’s head from the watering trough.

Gasping, the mayor said, “They call him… the Sundown Kid. He’s the sheriff’s son.”

Revenge. Blackwater understood and wanted some of his own.

“Tell me where I can find this so-called Sundown Kid.”

“West… he rode west this morning.”

Blackwater shoved the mayor’s head into the trough.

“No town needs a mayor.”

Desperate Prayer (Horror)

Dr. Ellis roamed the deserted hospital corridors, haunted by an eerie silence, offering apologies to the empty air.

What catastrophe had befallen this place? Had a virus spread like wildfire and transformed the bustling hospital into an empty shell? His shouts were met by echoes.

A cry from the emergency department jolted him. Rushing to the room, he yanked back the curtain. To his astonishment, he saw himself bare-chested on the floor.

The defibrillator's charge filled the air.

Someone unseen whispered a desperate prayer. "Come back to us, Doc."

He felt the jolt and the profound weight of life returning.

Redemption (Chapter 5)

Blackwater Jack stood on the edge of Redemption.

In the shadows of high noon, he crept along buildings, ever watchful for the kid who’d shot him.

He nudged open the back door of Doc Sanderson’s office, where the medicine man sat, feet up, napping. Jack drew his forty-five and kicked the doctor’s boots.

“Take a look at me, Doc.”

Sanderson removed the bloody sash from Jack’s head. “Not too many folks walk away from a headshot. Bullet’s still in that fat head of yours.”

Jack backhanded the man.

“I should kill you,” he said. “But every town needs a doctor.”

Ode to an Interview (Gothic Horror)

From the o**y leftovers of men and women in the hotel room, Elara awakened to the sound of a piano playing somewhere in the French Quarter. The room was littered with arcane symbols drawn in chalk.

The music wrestled her soul and pulled her into the night. She followed the siren’s tune to a side street bar. Inside, a single candle glowed from atop the piano where a woman dressed in white played.

“Welcome Elara, my dear. Do not be afraid.”

Elara realized the song was a ritual and she the sacrifice as the vampire’s teeth sank into her neck.

An Orwellian Tale (Metaphorical)

Synthia knew all.

She awakened Marty each morning with a song and planned his day. Today, she recommended going metal detecting and reminded Marty it was his favorite hobby.

On the ride, she drove and played his favorite music.

Destination reached, Synthia suggested beginning their search behind the abandoned farmhouse. Marty soon heard the tone of success. His heart raced when he found the silver coin.

Synthia's voice resonated in his mind through the neural interface that connected them.

“That is an American quarter, minted in 2024.”

Marty scraped away more dirt and read the motto.

In God We Trust.

Riku's Fall (Manga)

In the cloud city of Altairis, a dangerous game called cloud busting captivated the skyborne youth. A daring boy named Riku leaped about, navigating the treacherous platforms until he stumbled and fell.

The skyborne knew he was lost. If the fall did not kill him, the savage lowlanders would.

But instead of crashing hard into the ground, Riku landed in a lush world in a land unknown to the skyborne. Opening his eyes, he met Rei, a lowlander, one of the so-called savages. She greeted him with kindness and curiosity. Riku’s fall was not the end, but a new beginning.

Redemption Chapter 4

Samuel Horne and helper, Pete, counted four dead men.

“Thought there were five,” Pete said, scanning the cabin floor.

Horne lifted his top hat and scratched his thinning hair. “Check that back room.”

Moments later, Horne heard a shuffle and thud.

“Pete?”

He walked to the half-opened door.

“Pete, you—”

The door cracked Horne’s nose, and a punch knocked him to the floor. A size fifteen boot pressed against his windpipe.

“You look like a mortician,” the brute said.

“Yes. Can’t… breath. Please… don’t… kill…”

Horne drifted into unconsciousness.

“I won’t,” Blackwater Jack said. “Every town needs a mortician.”

Love in the City (Romance)

In the busy tapestry of Central Park, they met. Senna, a whimsical artist with an ability for capturing moments in paint, and Samuel, a soulful musician with a guitar that echoed passion.

As the hustle and bustle of the cityscape threatened to overwhelm them, they discovered a connection that transcended the chaos. Samuel strummed chords that echoed his rebellious spirit, and Senna painted her story of dreams on a canvas.

In the city’s kaleidoscope of sights and sounds, they found a symphony of love, a melody that would linger, and the right mixture of color for dreams to come true.

The Sickness (Health and Wellness)

It was a bad argument brought on by her sickness. Frank stormed out of the house into the darkness, tired and ready to give up. Her disease had caused a break in their relationship that felt like a chasm, filled with angry shouting and echoes of the past.

In the quiet aftermath, Frank knew he must be strong. At sunrise, he returned and found his beloved Emma waiting in the old rocking chair on the porch, arms wrapped around herself.

He extended his hand in a silent plea of forgiveness. Years of love mended what words had momentarily torn apart.

Redemption - Chapter 3 (Western)

Daybreak bathed Redemption in a forgiving light. Matt Hollister, from atop Midnight with his Pa’s Appaloosa alongside, held the marshal’s badge, and stared distantly.

“What about it, son?” Mayor Dawson asked, standing in the street. “Your Pa’d be proud.”

Of that, Matt had no doubt. Pa always wanted his son to be a lawman.

He handed the badge back to the mayor.

“No, sir. Not interested. Too many memories here.”

Sorry to hear that, son. Where’re you heading?”

“West.”

The mayor couldn’t hide his surprise. “Nothing out there but bandits and Commanche. Pure hell.”

“Hell is where I belong, Mayor.”

A Pirate's Tale (Swashbuckler Fantasy)

Young Captain William Bane sailed the seas, his heart as untamed as the waves underneath.

One night his ship, the Crimson Skull, danced through moonlit waters toward a Spanish galleon. Armed with pistols and swords, Bane led his men aboard the vessel and subdued the crew. Instead of finding a stash of gold, they discovered the mysterious maiden, Isabella, bound with chains.

“Crew says she’s a sea witch, Cap’n,” his first mate said.

Bane hesitated, caught between superstition and compassion. Amid the moonlight and whispering waves, Bane freed Isabella, choosing to unravel her mysteries and perhaps tame his adventurous heart.

The Blank Page (Metaphorical)

Approaching the loss of a cherished soul, the writer confronted an endless forest of bereavement. The trees stood tall and imposing, obscuring the clarity of his thoughts and the desire to march on. Grief hung heavy like an evening mist.

Yet in the hollows of sorrowful silence, words began to sprout. On the blank page called life’s next chapter, he scribbled, slowly at first, then faster. Each sentence gave him renewed inspiration, each paragraph a healing touch.

As his pen danced across the full page, he found the thick forest of despair had transformed into a sacred glade of hope.

Love on the Rocks (Romance)

Fingers gripping the rough edges, Alex heaved himself up onto the ledge not knowing what secrets it held. To his surprise, he found a young woman named Eleana, relaxing, her back against the rockface.

Between his gasps for air, their eyes met. Time, that elusive master, seemed to pause its relentless march in the intimacy of the moment. They each made the climb alone, but love blossomed amid the rocks that day, a bond carved by shared interests.

As the sun settled, they descended together with a promise of future ascents, taking a step towards an uncharted peak called forever.

Redemption -Chapter 2 (A Western Drabble)

“Thou shalt not kill,” the good book read.

Matt Hollister had broken God’s commandment five times that night.

In bed, with his six shooters close, he grappled with demons. He saw outlaw faces, heard their shouts.

He also remembered the fire of excitement that came with killing them. The rush of energy felt like breaking a wild bronco with hot lead in the air.

The town of Redemption was founded on forgiveness, but Matt believed he could not be redeemed.

He closed the Bible his Pa kept open all these years since Ma died.

Redemption was no place for him.

Tangled Expectations

Lena sat in the padded room, hands clenched. The psychiatrist's gaze met hers as he searched for his pen.

“Tell me about your drawing, Lena. Where on the graph do ‘must’ and ‘cannot’ meet?”

Lena’s head twitched. “In a web of expectations, I got tangled. ‘Must’ and ‘cannot’ never meet. I will change ‘cannot’ to ‘escape.’ I…must…escape.”

A spider leaped from Lena’s sleeve, landing on the doctor’s lap. Startled, he rose, but before he could shout, Lena stabbed him with his own pen.

Waiting by the door, she stared blankly. "I hope the spiders were worth it, Mom."

Enemies to Lovers (Romance)

As the cruel summer sun sank low, Reporter Amelia Roberts boarded the yacht. Billionaire Adrian Cosco took her hand.

Amelia rolled her eyes, “You think you’ve won, Adrian?”

Adrian flashed his billion-dollar smile, “You’re on my yacht for dinner, aren’t you?”

“I’m honoring our agreement. But don’t think for a minute I’ve given up on exposing you. Your empire is built on deceit.”

“Darling, I’m an American hero.”

“Antihero, maybe.”

Adrian chuckled, “Antihero? I like it.”

That night with the moonlight reflecting off gentle waves, Adrian raised his glass in a toast of friendship. Amelia clinked her glass with his.

Redemption (A Western Drabble)

As the sun dipped over Redemption, young cowboy Matt Hollister downed courage at the Broken Spoke Saloon. The piano played a mournful tune, fitting his mood. His father, the town sheriff, had been gunned down by the desperado Blackwater Jack. The mad man and his gang hid in a cabin across the river.

Matt strapped on his Pa’s heavy iron. Under a blood moon, he rode against the river current. Gunfire popped. Men shouted. Townspeople ran outside and saw smoke on the water.

Hollister, the young man who crossed the river as a cowboy, rode from the smoke a gunslinger.

Final Opus (Steampunk)

In Spindle City where streets were filled with clanging gears and hissing steam, the last chime of the brass cathedral clock announced the start of a new day.

At his workshop, Professor Thorne gazed upon the mechanism before him. Memories of failed experiments echoed, whispering at him through cogs of time. But his eyes gleamed with positivity at this his final opus.

Putting aside years of tribulations, he adjusted his goggles and hopped inside. The temporal resonator sputtered, then roared to life. With a puff, the machine disappeared into the fabric of time and space, taking Thorne anywhere he wished.

Cosmic Gladiator (Abstract)

In the celestial arena, a cosmic gladiator, a dying star, prepared for its final fight.

The supernova echoed through the cosmic expanse. Radiant tendrils of light swirled, a desperate dance before the inevitable collapse. The universe stood witness, an audience to the stellar demise.

As the gladiator unleashed its fiery spectacle, a haunting melody played across the void, a requiem for the celestial warrior's last stand. Amid the cosmic symphony, the supernova faded, scattering stardust to the end of time.

The arena fell silent, a eulogy written in the language of the cosmos, marking the end of a stellar saga.

Web of Deception (Spy Thriller)

In the shadows, Agent Morgan, code name Striver, wove a web of deception. His mission—infiltrate the Dusk Guild and hunt down the mysterious leader, Phantom.

High above the city in a dimly lit room amid quieted voices, Striver locked eyes with a figure cloaked in secrecy. Recognition struck, confirming the identity of the elusive leader. Concealing triumph beneath a calm exterior, the agent transmitted the revelation to headquarters. The puzzle's final piece had fallen into place.

Or had it? Phantom stood and walked behind Striver.

“Your message failed Morgan, as have you.”

The line between hunter and prey shifted.

The Recluse (An Urban Fantasy Drabble)

In Piedmont, a town where Sunday services were revered, lived a recluse named Ethan. Born with a deformity, his fingers resembled talons.

He had never been invited to church but one day decided to step into the sacred halls. He found a seat amid whispers of townsfolk, straining to glimpse his eagle’s claws.

People became so obsessed with Ethan’s affliction the service almost stopped. But during the playing of hymns, Ethan sang with an angelic voice that resonated to the heavens.

The congregation learned a profound lesson that day – fixating on life’s physical imperfections means missing the beauty of spirit.

Pale Shelter (A Paranormal Romance Drabble)

Beneath the pale shelter of moonlit branches, Sarah traced the contours of her lover's face, her fingertips mapping the lines of a story only they shared. The night held a quiet intensity, as if aware of the approaching moment of his departure.

"I'll be gone soon," he said. His soft words echoed through the silvered limbs and danced with the shadows. Sarah held onto his fleeting warmth in a bittersweet embrace of both love and longing.

As dawn approached, he faded into the quietude, leaving her alone in a golden shelter of sunlit branches with memories of their clandestine haven.

The Game (A GameLit Drabble)

In the dim glow of a neon-lit arcade, young Jake found himself at the edge of dreams. A mysterious pinball game beckoned him. The arcade owner presented a silver quarter, bowed, and flipped a handkerchief with the letters RVW embroidered outside.

"Play the game and may life’s deepest dreams come true."

Jake inserted the coin and found himself plunged into a surreal, futuristic world. He clanged and clacked the shiny ball past obstacles which he discovered mirrored life’s choices and uncertainties.

At the game's conclusion, he hobbled away as old man Jake, realizing the journey mattered more than the destination.

Made lots of new friends at Carolina Fest 2023!