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<td>A Terrific New Tale from Short-Story.Me! Publishing
 
 
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Our "Best of" ANTHOLOGY is available!:

 --To buy the electronic version for the Kindle: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F777ZQ" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F777ZQ
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 --To buy the print version in our E-store: 
<a href="https://www.createspace.com/3445134" target="_blank">https://www.createspace.com/3445134
</a>
 --To buy the print version in the Amazon Bookstore: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Short-Story-Me-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1451593201" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Short-Story-Me-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1451593201
</a>
 --Go to 
<a href="http://www.short-story.me/our-books.html" target="_blank">"Our Books"
</a> to see the 24 Authors & Stories included and the cover.
 Independent Rating: ♥♥♥♥

<hr />
Anthology #2 Available!:

 Kindle: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BSGOU2" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BSGOU2
</a>
 Amazon Book: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1456356224" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Best-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1456356224
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<ul>
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Incarnadine Stars

 
LEGAL NOTE: All Short Stories and other material on our site or that we distribute are Copyrighted.
We want you to enjoy the stories, but they may not be reproduced, or otherwise used, without express
written permission.
 
 




Magenta moon and... - Editor


 




Incarnadine Stars



by Chris Deal

“When's the sun come up?” he asked from the other end of the bench, his voice quiet, not his
usual boisterousness. He was shrinking into himself as the night drifted.
“Not for another hour.”  I looked up, past the lamp's halo, past the city’s lights, into the
pale gray of the birthing day.
“Shit.” He spat the cigarette butt away, onto the walkway.

“Think you'll make it?” I light a another smoke and hand it to him, his hand shaking, weak, then
I do another for myself.
“Nah. Wish I would, but don't believe it to be.”

I lean forward, elbows on knees, and there's a smudge on the black leather of my left shoe. With a
clean handkerchief I wipe away the dull incarnadine.  It came from him.
“Stars sure are clear,” he said.

“Yeah.  I figure that’s 'cause it's so cold.”

“How's that?” He coughs, and it is the sound of a blade cutting through wheat.

“I think it's the cold, it keeps the molecules in the atmosphere from vibrating, making the stars
appear clear.”
He grunted, or made a sound that could be construed as a grunt.

“But I ain't a scientist or nothing, so I don't know.  Could be we’re closer to them in orbit
or whatever.  I don’t know.”
He didn't say anything, and neither did I, for several minutes, we just sat there, looking up at the
sky, and it was getting to be a brighter shade of gray, the same color of the ash that was growing
on his cigarette, between his fingers, unmoving on the armrest, the cherry dying, fading.
“Sorry it went down like this,” I said.

I stood and walked toward the car, stopping only to pick up the lone casing, then away, towards
where the sun will soon be.
©2009


 
 
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Best Genre Short Stories

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<html>
<head>
<title>Incarnadine Stars
</title>
</head>
<body>
<table style="width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="10">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>A Terrific New Tale from Short-Story.Me! Publishing
 
 
<img src="http://www.short-story.me/images/stories/logo468.jpg" border="0" />
</td>
<td rowspan="4" valign="top" bgcolor="#eeeeee">

What's hot?


<hr />
Newest Stories

 
<ul>
<li>Newest Stories sample item 1
</li>
<li>Newest Stories sample item 2
</li>
<li>Newest Stories sample item 3
</li>
<li>Newest Stories sample item 4
</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<div style="border: medium double black; padding: 3px;">
Our "Best of" ANTHOLOGY is available!:

 --To buy the electronic version for the Kindle: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F777ZQ" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F777ZQ
</a>
 --To buy the print version in our E-store: 
<a href="https://www.createspace.com/3445134" target="_blank">https://www.createspace.com/3445134
</a>
 --To buy the print version in the Amazon Bookstore: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Short-Story-Me-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1451593201" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Short-Story-Me-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1451593201
</a>
 --Go to 
<a href="http://www.short-story.me/our-books.html" target="_blank">"Our Books"
</a> to see the 24 Authors & Stories included and the cover.
 Independent Rating: ♥♥♥♥

<hr />
Anthology #2 Available!:

 Kindle: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BSGOU2" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BSGOU2
</a>
 Amazon Book: 
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1456356224" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Best-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1456356224
</a>
 Our Store Book: 
<a href="https://www.createspace.com/3503198" target="_blank">https://www.createspace.com/3503198
</a>
</div>
<hr />


 
<ul>
<li> sample item 1
</li>
<li> sample item 2
</li>
<li> sample item 3
</li>
<li> sample item 4
</li>
</ul>
 
<hr />
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="80%" valign="top">
Incarnadine Stars

 
LEGAL NOTE: All Short Stories and other material on our site or that we distribute are Copyrighted.
We want you to enjoy the stories, but they may not be reproduced, or otherwise used, without express
written permission.
 
 




Magenta moon and... - Editor


 




Incarnadine Stars



by Chris Deal

“When's the sun come up?” he asked from the other end of the bench, his voice quiet, not his
usual boisterousness. He was shrinking into himself as the night drifted.
“Not for another hour.”  I looked up, past the lamp's halo, past the city’s lights, into the
pale gray of the birthing day.
“Shit.” He spat the cigarette butt away, onto the walkway.

“Think you'll make it?” I light a another smoke and hand it to him, his hand shaking, weak, then
I do another for myself.
“Nah. Wish I would, but don't believe it to be.”

I lean forward, elbows on knees, and there's a smudge on the black leather of my left shoe. With a
clean handkerchief I wipe away the dull incarnadine.  It came from him.
“Stars sure are clear,” he said.

“Yeah.  I figure that’s 'cause it's so cold.”

“How's that?” He coughs, and it is the sound of a blade cutting through wheat.

“I think it's the cold, it keeps the molecules in the atmosphere from vibrating, making the stars
appear clear.”
He grunted, or made a sound that could be construed as a grunt.

“But I ain't a scientist or nothing, so I don't know.  Could be we’re closer to them in orbit
or whatever.  I don’t know.”
He didn't say anything, and neither did I, for several minutes, we just sat there, looking up at the
sky, and it was getting to be a brighter shade of gray, the same color of the ash that was growing
on his cigarette, between his fingers, unmoving on the armrest, the cherry dying, fading.
“Sorry it went down like this,” I said.

I stood and walked toward the car, stopping only to pick up the lone casing, then away, towards
where the sun will soon be.
©2009


 
 
 ---------------
 
To find all our electronic and print books, search for "

Best Genre Short Stories

" (with the quotes) on Amazon

 IF YOU, OR PEOPLE YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR BOOKS, PLEASE LEAVE GOOD REVIEWS ON AMAZON. IT HELPS READERS
AND AUTHORS!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
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</a>
</td>
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<td>
This is a system-generated short story distribution; please do not respond

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</body>
</html>

<pre>A Terrific New Tale from Short-Story.Me! Publishing

Incarnadine Stars
LEGAL NOTE: All Short Stories and other material on our site or that we distribute are Copyrighted.
We want you to enjoy the stories, but they may not be reproduced, or otherwise used, without express
written permission.

_Magenta moon and... - Editor_

INCARNADINE STARS

by Chris Deal

“When's the sun come up?” he asked from the other end of the bench, his voice quiet,
not his usual boisterousness. He was shrinking into himself as the night drifted.

“Not for another hour.”  I looked up, past the lamp's halo, past the city’s
lights, into the pale gray of the birthing day.

“Shit.” He spat the cigarette butt away, onto the walkway.

“Think you'll make it?” I light a another smoke and hand it to him, his hand shaking,
weak, then I do another for myself.

“Nah. Wish I would, but don't believe it to be.”

I lean forward, elbows on knees, and there's a smudge on the black leather of my left
shoe. With a clean handkerchief I wipe away the dull incarnadine.  It came from him.

“Stars sure are clear,” he said.

“Yeah.  I figure that’s 'cause it's so cold.”

“How's that?” He coughs, and it is the sound of a blade cutting through wheat.

“I think it's the cold, it keeps the molecules in the atmosphere from vibrating, making
the stars appear clear.”

He grunted, or made a sound that could be construed as a grunt.

“But I ain't a scientist or nothing, so I don't know.  Could be we’re closer to them
in orbit or whatever.  I don’t know.”

He didn't say anything, and neither did I, for several minutes, we just sat there,
looking up at the sky, and it was getting to be a brighter shade of gray, the same color
of the ash that was growing on his cigarette, between his fingers, unmoving on the
armrest, the cherry dying, fading.

“Sorry it went down like this,” I said.

I stood and walked toward the car, stopping only to pick up the lone casing, then away,
towards where the sun will soon be.

-------------
To find all our electronic and print books, search for "Best Genre Short Stories" (with the quotes)
on Amazon

Click here to end Your Subscription, if you really must
http://www.short-story.me/component/vemod_news_mailer/?unsubscribeall=1&userid=userid9999987

This is a system-generated short story distribution; please do not respond

Our "Best of" ANTHOLOGY #1 AVAILABLE!:
--To buy the electronic version for the Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F777ZQ
--To buy the print version in our E-store: https://www.createspace.com/3445134
--To buy the print version in the Amazon Bookstore:
http://www.amazon.com/Short-Story-Me-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1451593201
Independent Book Review: ♥♥♥♥
ANTHOLOGY #2 Available!:
On Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BSGOU2
Amazon Book: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1456356224
Our Store Book: https://www.createspace.com/3503198

IF YOU, OR PEOPLE YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR BOOKS, PLEASE LEAVE GOOD REVIEWS ON AMAZON. IT HELPS READERS
AND AUTHORS!</pre>

<pre>A Terrific New Tale from Short-Story.Me! Publishing

Incarnadine Stars
LEGAL NOTE: All Short Stories and other material on our site or that we distribute are Copyrighted.
We want you to enjoy the stories, but they may not be reproduced, or otherwise used, without express
written permission.

_Magenta moon and... - Editor_

INCARNADINE STARS

by Chris Deal

“When's the sun come up?” he asked from the other end of the bench, his voice quiet,
not his usual boisterousness. He was shrinking into himself as the night drifted.

“Not for another hour.”  I looked up, past the lamp's halo, past the city’s
lights, into the pale gray of the birthing day.

“Shit.” He spat the cigarette butt away, onto the walkway.

“Think you'll make it?” I light a another smoke and hand it to him, his hand shaking,
weak, then I do another for myself.

“Nah. Wish I would, but don't believe it to be.”

I lean forward, elbows on knees, and there's a smudge on the black leather of my left
shoe. With a clean handkerchief I wipe away the dull incarnadine.  It came from him.

“Stars sure are clear,” he said.

“Yeah.  I figure that’s 'cause it's so cold.”

“How's that?” He coughs, and it is the sound of a blade cutting through wheat.

“I think it's the cold, it keeps the molecules in the atmosphere from vibrating, making
the stars appear clear.”

He grunted, or made a sound that could be construed as a grunt.

“But I ain't a scientist or nothing, so I don't know.  Could be we’re closer to them
in orbit or whatever.  I don’t know.”

He didn't say anything, and neither did I, for several minutes, we just sat there,
looking up at the sky, and it was getting to be a brighter shade of gray, the same color
of the ash that was growing on his cigarette, between his fingers, unmoving on the
armrest, the cherry dying, fading.

“Sorry it went down like this,” I said.

I stood and walked toward the car, stopping only to pick up the lone casing, then away,
towards where the sun will soon be.

-------------
To find all our electronic and print books, search for "Best Genre Short Stories" (with the quotes)
on Amazon

Click here to end Your Subscription, if you really must
http://www.short-story.me/component/vemod_news_mailer/?unsubscribeall=1&userid=userid9999987

This is a system-generated short story distribution; please do not respond

Our "Best of" ANTHOLOGY #1 AVAILABLE!:
--To buy the electronic version for the Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003F777ZQ
--To buy the print version in our E-store: https://www.createspace.com/3445134
--To buy the print version in the Amazon Bookstore:
http://www.amazon.com/Short-Story-Me-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1451593201
Independent Book Review: ♥♥♥♥
ANTHOLOGY #2 Available!:
On Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BSGOU2
Amazon Book: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Genre-Short-Stories-Anthology/dp/1456356224
Our Store Book: https://www.createspace.com/3503198

IF YOU, OR PEOPLE YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR BOOKS, PLEASE LEAVE GOOD REVIEWS ON AMAZON. IT HELPS READERS
AND AUTHORS!</pre>

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