Author: Karl — Fiction Writer

Part 1: The Layoff When the Oregon sawmill where he worked for 32 years finally shut its doors, Earl Jenkins handed over his hard hat, walked out to his rusted …

The Sawdust Trail Read More

Part 1: The Inefficiency The first time Principal Mara Ellison saw Mr. Gabe sitting on the hallway floor, she thought he had fallen. He was seventy-one, maybe older, with one …

The Mop Bucket Read More

Part 1: The Call The metal folding chairs in the chapel were completely empty when the county transport van pulled up to the back door. It was a drizzly Tuesday …

The Flag Read More

Part 1: The Confrontation The wealthy homeowner called the neighborhood board to ban my work van from our street, but everything changed when he saw the receipt inside my battered …

The Toolbox Read More

Part One: The Snowy Night “Ma’am, just give me one second.” Darnell Brooks said it softly, before the elderly woman at register four could apologize again. Her gloved hands were …

The Notes Read More

Part One: The Floor The first night I brought the dying cat home, she stopped one inch from my kitchen floor and screamed like it had hurt her before. Her …

Dottie Read More

In 1994, two days before harvest was set to begin on our farm, my father’s combine caught fire in the machine shed overnight. By the time anyone noticed the smoke, …

Eleven Combines Showed Up at Dawn. Nobody Knew Who Called Them. Read More

At every farm dispersal auction in our county, the same old man shows up, bids on exactly one item — always something small, always the very first lot of the …

He Overpaid for a Hammer. It Saved Her Whole Auction. Read More