Shaken
6/8/2009
Kenneth Burchfiel
Each bookshelf held exactly three novels, three nonfiction books and thirty-three magazines–in that order. The books were ordered from thickest to thinnest, as were the magazines. On top of the bookcases stood a feather duster, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a dustpan.
A fruit basket sat on the table in the exact center [...]
Campfire
4/27/2009
Kenneth Burchfiel
Zur Ehre Gottes
Bryan shone the flashlight on his face.
“And they saw a bloody trail leading right out the front door.”
The other kids oohed and ahhed. One of them poked their stick back into the fire, roasting a marshmallow until it burnt. A bag of graham crackers and chocolate sat within reach.
“Mr. Devon, tell us [...]
Weighted
4/23/2009
Kenneth Burchfiel
zur Ehre Gott
The turkey seemed to get larger every year. A long orange table struggled under the weight of mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, ten drinks, a pitcher of iced tea, cranberry sauce and masses of silverware.
Kevin found himself staring at the bird. It lay motionless, unaware, apathetic.
“Well,” his mother said, “It’s [...]
OCD
soli God gloria
Mar. 4, 2009
Kenneth Burchfiel
The room was too dark to gauge its size; all he had for light were two windows. The only thing he could see or feel was the wooden bench below him.
He felt the least bit anxious, as if he had forgotten something on the way here.
“Your mother is [...]
The Platform
soli Christus gloria
3/1/2009
Kenneth Burchfiel
Looking down at the gap, all one saw was black and red. The other side was but a golden line.
One man after another would bring his bridge, cannon or book to the edge and wave the bystanders over, proclaiming that they finally had a way to cross it. And [...]
To Bamako
2/3/2009
He lay sprawled on the flat-back seat with a newspaper on his chest. The seats were far enough apart that Morgan could barely reach the front page.
John’s eyes opened as she unfolded the paper. “The engines put me to sleep. Did they serve breakfast yet?”
“Whenever you want it. Just press the button.”
John yawned and [...]
The Missionary
1/12/2009
Kenneth Burchfiel fdHG
He gently pried the book open. Hardcover. Leather binding. It was the only type he would buy. Paperbacks never held up well to God’s message.
The man reached off his couch and picked up a glass of wine. A stroke of luck that his blanket was deep purple; if he spilled [...]
The last forty years
12/30/2008
By Kenneth Burchfiel
fdHG
“I daresay I haven’t changed at all in the last forty years.”
The man in the chair nodded. The barber trimmed the back of his neck, then added:
“I don’t know if anything here’s changed in the last forty years.”
A ray of sun broke through the dense clouds outside. The window, blurred [...]
Interrogation
12/19/2008
Kenneth Burchfiel
“Okay. Please. Let me explain what happened.
“So I was walking down a sidewalk in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Dark as tar outside. All of a sudden, a monitor walks out the front door of a house. Literally. It stops on the front porch and lays down.
“I’m not pulling your leg. And the next thing I [...]
Smoke
11/24/2008
Kenneth Burchfiel
“Thanks for trucking over the gas.” Dan took one of the canisters and set it on the wing. “A few gallons should be all we need.”
“You’re not flying on this stuff, are you?”
“No. Just want to make sure the engine’s in working order.”
The polish on the Cessna belied its two decades of service. The [...]
