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New to Five Minute Observations? Welcome. I’m Joe Class III, and I write stories and essays about what I notice, the encounters that reveal something true, and the moments that stick with you after they’re gone. If you’re just getting started, these three pieces will give you a sense of what this space is about:…
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“What do you mean it’s all gone?” “Exactly what I said. It’s gone. All of it.” Gary was a tall man compared to the rest of the research team. He stuck his hands deep into the pockets of a white lab coat, jingling his keys. “You’re sure?” His friend and coworker nodded.…
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Laying on the grass, both boys stared into the pale blue sky. “Will? Are you there?” Josh’s voice sounded like he was speaking through water or maybe jello. That feeling you get from water being stuck in your ears? That’s what Josh was experiencing. There was something unnatural about the loss of his hearing. He…
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Rocking in the gliding chair made him think about the time before kindness left the world. “Do you remember what it was like? I mean, before hatred came on stronger than love? When did love become an outlawed emotion?” “Sid, you’ve been sitting in the same chair, rocking in the same way, before I…
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He stood on the other side of the bar, mixing a drink for one of the other patrons sitting beside me. “How’s your night going,” he asked, rubbing a lemon wedge over the rim of the glass. On the left side of his t-shirt was a surf logo, one I didn’t recognize. The back of…
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“No finesse whatsoever. Park wherever you want to, huh? Is that how you think driving works?” Their windows were rolled down, so you heard every word he spat at her. His hat was on backward, the brim touching his neck. Several tattoos were visible on his face, a few on both arms, and, as expected,…
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Suzie slid into the booth, catching her dress on the edge of her heel. The fabric tore before she freed it from her heel. “Crap!” The hole wasn’t all that big, nor was it noticeable, except to her. The black dress matched the rest of her outfit, and the spot was nothing more than an…
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“This place is the coolest!” Josh shouted, his voice echoing off the concrete flooring. Scattered throughout the empty space were discarded pallets. Will assumed these were discarded as the business closed its doors. Helping Hands may have owned the building, holding the lease for several companies that utilized the space in the warehouse. At one…
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“You sure we aren’t going to get into trouble, Josh? I mean, nothing about this seems okay.” Both boys were straddling their bikes, the toes of their tennis shoes touching the ground. Neither boy realized how far they rode. It was almost six miles to their houses. Josh and Will lived across the street from…
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She was working behind the counter at one of the local coffee shops. Ice blue hair, a steel ring through both sides of her lip, several piercings through her ears, and one in her nose with the halfway-shaved head, looking a little like Gary Oldman in The Fifth Element. There were a few visible tattoos,…
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The drive out to the dance that October evening wasn’t much to remember, other than the country road we drove out. Nothing to look at except the acres and acres of dry, brown grass, dead or dying from summer’s heat. I don’t remember driving that far out before. In Manteca or Modesto? Sure. That was…
Stories. Enjoy!
