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The Path That Eli Wellingsworth Took by Michael Harris Sequel to my short story, "The House That Bernard Wellingsworth Built." E... [9,402 words]
The Arrivals by Michael Harris **********WARNING*********** Do not read further without first reading my short story, The Rivals,... [10,381 words]
One More Minute by Keri Lebeau - [1,143 words]
Woody Pigeon by Garry Michael Ames woody pigeon gets lost. he falls off the signpost that turns out to be his home direction. [142 words]
With The Rain Comes The Damp by Amit Shankar Saha This story was composed after reading Arundhati Roy's Booker winning novel "The Go... [1,524 words]
Window Of Opportunity--A New Beginning by J D Hoff Hoff A story of friendship [1,982 words]
What Is Money by Matt Lenox A man whos surrounded by money doesnt know what it is really [932 words]
Watershed by Outlaw's Serenade 'he's a star I am not' And so begin the journey as she walks the valleys and peaks of her dreams. [993 words]
Translation by Dawei A slice-of-life style account of a young girl who expresses compassion in a unique way. [899 words]
Tortured To Death by Corey Moon my newest addtion to my short stories, i have yet to come up with an ending so if you have an... [750 words]
The Visit by J D Hoff Hoff - [1,497 words]
The Starlight by Salman - [97 words]
The Sleeper Must Awaken.Part 1 by Dr Mu In early 2002 shortly after the tragedy of 911, the author of this site was guid... [1,617 words]
The Price Of Freedom (2)
The Old Hotel by Sman Scary Old Hotel. [1,886 words]
The Lonely Donkey by Garry Michael Ames baby donkey born colour of pink. none of other donkeys like him. lion chases other donkeys. r... [176 words]
The Little Tin Hut by Garry Michael Ames wicked witch of the forest trys to do folly to family living in a little tin hut . [408 words]
The Job by Kain An old wrestlers last match [6,918 words]
The Invasion by Wendland An intriguing story about a young boy and the deception carried out by his former best friend. [263 words]
The Building by Jessi a horror story. [390 words]
The Breakfast Nook by Randall Barfield . [246 words]
The Beginning by Daniel Atkinson My short story is about my first day of high school and the troubles i felt going through it. [283 words]
Spooky Stories by Wendland - [83 words]
Short Story (Incomplete by Josh Campbell Here is part 1 of a short story Im doing I just want feedback to see if this is good so... [920 words]
She's A Legend by Ma Sabrina Racelle M Dungcatinkerbell She’s a Legend. By: Sabrina Dungca When Tinkerbell met Fairy Guy, she was still in love with Pe... [706 words]
Poor Little Kitty Came Home by Garry Michael Ames kitty the kitten gets lost in the rain. young lucy finds her and takes her home [341 words]
Police Report by Vince O'neal a demented police officer is letting his job get to him [242 words]
Past Chasing by Dawei help.. [1,045 words]
Nyc In July by Brett Pierpont Relationships, NYC, infidelity [207 words]
Missy by Jack Linton Why would the light of his life suddenly leave? [1,703 words]
Lanky Joe by Garry Michael Ames lanky joe too tall to win at sports at school. finds he's good at basketball. hero of the school. [164 words]
Kaveri - The Girl Child. by Suryaprabha Easwar Kaveri is a six year old orphaned girl child in the south eastern coast of the Indian ... [1,701 words]
Jungle Tales-Mono The Rabbit by Seema M Salman I really enjoyed relating this story to my son.So I decided i would write it down... [230 words]
In A Guilded Cage by Devin Backman This is a story about a girl who learns that certain aspects of glamor come with a terrible p... [1,789 words]
Identity Crisis by Jeffrey Lee Williams Not just your average mistaken identity [2,344 words]
Gloomy Bathroom by Sman Gloom in the bathroom. [403 words]
Diary Of A Loon by Jessi -this is kinda about me, kinda not it kinda descirbes some of my randomness.. but not exactly. ... [574 words]
Dark Kelpie Nights by Jessi A story, sort of, about the kelpies i read about in a book. Describing their dark, yet beaut... [237 words]
Confessing Feeling... by M Rafique Danish A short story. [899 words]
Cloey The Clown by Garry Michael Ames nobody laughs at cloey the clown. something goes wrong with his act and everybody laughs [171 words]
Chirpy Bird by Garry Michael Ames chirpy bird wakes up animals and creatures in the woods. chirpy bird dies. six baby chirpy birds ta... [145 words]
Carl's Conscience by Sky X Stewart Sci-Fi - This is the first story in a series of short stories. Maybe good for a graphic novel... [2,254 words]
Butterflies Revenge by Jessi This is the beggining-intro of my story. [167 words]
Ali And The Airplane by Seema M Salman A motivational story [182 words]
Adventures In Dating by Samantha Jane A single gal's true story of an adventure in dating. [5,204 words]
About A Dog by Salman I love animals so I like telling stories about them [345 words]
A Night's Lullaby by Michael J Musto A man is walking through a city and is being trailed by a figure of a man in the distance. St... [802 words]
A New Day by Alex Maurya The story is about exactly the opposite of what it's title suggests. [347 words]
A Literary Collage: Five Tributaries by Jerry Vilhotti A newish art form [1,938 words]
A Day In Town by Ed Dudleston - [206 words]

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TITLE (EDIT)
The Price Of Freedom (2)
DESCRIPTION
A short story.
[396 words]
AUTHOR
Richard Koss
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Koss, other titles
[November 2001]
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
taxtime@ameritech.net
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (47)
904 North (Poetry) A tale in verse form about a middle-aged musician/writer down on his luck and recently divorced (again) who moves into a high rise apartment on the ninth floor, which happens to be the same suite a yo... [1,479 words]
A New Perspective (Essays) A different perspective on the 911 tragedy and its aftermath. [614 words]
Are We There Yet? (Essays) An essay I never thought I'd have to write followed by a question I never thought I would have to ask. [1,013 words]
Asleep At Last (Poetry) A man in a hospital bed is having difficulty falling asleep, but he soon will... [152 words]
Bad Boy (Short Stories) A true story about a bad boy growing up in 1950. Was he just mischievous? Would his behavior be considered bad today? [2,844 words]
Charlie And Mrs. Miller (Short Stories) A very short story about an old woman on her death bed whose last request is to see an old friend, much to the surprise of her daughters and granddaughters. [585 words]
Deja Vu (Poetry) In times like these, pacifists come out of the woodwork. This poem was written in anticipation of what we can expect from them. [106 words]
Empty Closets (Poetry) A poem which no doubt, is controversial. I'm sure many will consider it homophobic, (a stupid word) but if liberals are sincere in their belief that everyone is entitled to free speech and opinions, t... [223 words]
Family Genes Considered (Short Stories) A story that is unfortunately, much closer to the truth than not. Although the main character is fictional, the relatives described are quite real, which gives me reason to often ponder my own destin... [1,198 words]
Fatal Perception (Short Stories) An off-beat tale about an aging song writer who perceives he is being stalked by a strange little man. [2,959 words]
Goodbye America (Essays) An essay written by an aging writer who no longer understands the country in which he lives. [662 words]
Hooked (Short Stories) A short short story originally started as a poem, about a man's obsession with a special kind of woman. (Revised June 2001) [323 words] [Fantasy]
How To Fool Most Of The People Most Of The Time (Essays) An essay commenting on the recent election results. [1,530 words]
Know It? - I Wrote It (Short Stories) This is a funny, perhaps silly, outrageous story. I'm not sure of its exact origin, but I must forewarn you. I don't generally make use of extreme vulgarity or profanity in my writing, but in this c... [663 words]
Lost And Found (Poetry) A poem that was originally written as a lyric several years ago for a country western song. [156 words]
Madelaine (Short Stories) An eerie tale set in the modern day Pacific Northwest about a family's nightmarish encounter with a character from a legend with a darkside. [8,451 words]
Moral Values - Who Needs Them? (Essays) An essay. [771 words]
Muriel's Funeral (Short Stories) Imagine yourself dead and observing your own funeral What would you expect to see? You might be surprised. [736 words]
My Three Loves (Poetry) A poem about the three things in life that keep a man going. (At least from one man's perspective.) [101 words]
My Wife Is Missing (Poetry) A poem (well sort of a poem) which raises the question of who is most dear to us. [117 words] [Relationships]
Nostalgic On A Bridge To Nowhere (Poetry) A nostalgic view of the life of a man in his twilight years. [369 words]
Over A Hundred Years Later Nothing New About Progressives (Essays) An essay revealing the fact that progressives haven't progressed much in over a hundred years. [1,317 words]
Please Read My Poem - Again (Poetry) The inspiration for this poem came to me after reading several poems (good and bad) posted on Storymania, as well as their reviews. The poem is directed primarily at the very young, talented writers w... [195 words]
Raindrops (Short Stories) Ever think twice about shopping alone at night. You should - especially if you're a pretty woman. [1,469 words]
Requiem For A Bodybuilder (Poetry) What happens to bodybuilders when they cease pumping iron? [54 words]
Save The Planet – More Fiction Than Fact (Essays) An essay. [1,537 words]
Shirley's Angel (Short Stories) A Christmas story: In the final analysis, we may discover that we love someone because of their vulnerability, rather than in spite of it. [2,228 words]
Still Unsolved (Short Stories) A successful mystery writer returns to his old home town and recalls an unsolved mystery he never wrote about. [2,136 words]
Symbolism Over Substance – The Liberal Manifesto (Essays) A non-fiction essay about liberal ideology and its influence on today's U.S. and world culture. [1,229 words]
The Absolution Of Margaret (Short Stories) A story about life in the confessional booth of a Catholic church. [549 words]
The Better Man (Poetry) A poem about a lonely, young, soldier wating for a train to take him back to base. He becomes enamored with a lovely young girl sitting across from him. Although they never speak to each other, the ... [238 words]
The Diversity Mystique (Essays) The ultimate hype of political correctness. [1,083 words]
The Dowry (Short Stories) The Dowry is a story set in or around the year 2020, so I suppose you should consider it science fiction. But it is also a story of romance with the ending more than a mere possibility. [2,448 words]
The Farnsworth Affair (Short Stories) An innocent man becomes trapped in a web of circumstance from which there is no escape. A somewhat more lengthy story than I usually write. This is a suspense story in the mold of the English mystery... [5,045 words]
The Girl In The Taxi (Short Stories) A shy, young man has an erotic encounter with a strange girl. Is it real or just a dream? [1,493 words] [Erotic]
The Incurable Cynic (Poetry) A man reflects upon his life of cynicism. [143 words]
The Perfect Ending (Short Stories) A tale about a wanna-be writer trying to create a story with the perfect ending. With unsuspecting help from his wife, he succeds, but pays the ultimate price. [642 words]
The Rhyme Of Eternal Triangles (Poetry) A poem that describes in a silly, funny way, the futility of wanting someone who doesn't want you. [223 words]
The Song That Failed (Short Stories) A somewhat dubious account of an amateur song writer's ill-fated chance at success. [156 words] [Humor]
The Waitress Fom Hell (Short Stories) The story of a patron's ongoing feud with an over-the-hill waitress. [750 words]
Think Before You Write (Essays) My observations, after reading the work of many aspiring young writers, prompted me to write this. It merely offers some common sense advice to any aspiring writer (including myself) and should not b... [988 words]
Tomorrow's Here (Poetry) The recent death of a friend inspired me to write a poem, which salutes this somewhat hapless, but likeable character. [114 words]
Victims (Poetry) A satirical poem that tells it like it is. The poem confronts a disturbing trend in our society - transferring blame to others instead of placing it squarely where it belongs. [255 words]
What A Pair (Ex-Husbands And Old Shoes) (Poetry) A symbolic poem comparing ex-husbands and old shoes. Some women divorce their husbands, expecting to find something better, only to realize eventually, that the grass is not always greener. [326 words]
What’S Wrong With Assimilation? (Essays) This essay was originally written in 2006 when the Senate was considering an Immigration reform bill, which of course, was not passed. [453 words]
While The Iron's Hot (Short Stories) The story of a woman, a victim of spousal abuse, and her solution to the problem. [774 words] [Relationships]
Wisdom - Lost With Tradition (Essays) An essay which compares the concept of traditional wisdom with the minds of today's intellectual elitists. [500 words]
The Price Of Freedom (2)
Richard Koss

The youth never knew his father. He could barely remember his mother and marching along with the rest of them, he thought to himself. How many years have my people been living like this? Toiling day after day merely to provide themselves with food, water and shelter – the bare necessities of life. Truly, they were enslaved by their birthright.

He looked around at the others, mostly older than himself. Was he the only one who ever thought of escaping from this boring and meaningless existence? There were no guards. There were no prison walls; nothing to stop him from running away. After thinking about this for several days, his mind was made up. He began to lag behind the others until he was near the end of the column. Unnoticed by anyone, he impulsively darted off the road into the brush and tall grass. After running non-stop for what seemed like an eternity, he finally collapsed from exhaustion and quickly fell asleep.

The bright afternoon sun woke him. He was well rested and the smell of food cooking lured him toward the edge of a clearing in the brush. Hidden in the grass, he peered out at the picnic blanket several yards from the bank of a rippling stream. Two girls and a young man were laughing and sitting on the edge of the bank with their feet splashing in the water.

There was a grill with hot dogs and hamburgers smoking not far from the blanket. But it was the smell of the chocolate cake just sitting there on a plate in the corner of the blanket which made his mouth water and his stomach growl.

The impulsive youth was unable to control his hunger pangs. He crept toward the blanket, keeping an eye on the three of them sitting on the bank. He finally got to his target and wasted no time in gorging himself on the chocolate cake and white sugary frosting.

Totally lost in his feast, he never heard the fourth member of the party creep up behind him. The huge man surprised the youth with a blow so fierce, it ended his life and his brief taste of freedom. The whack was so loud it startled the other three who turned toward the blanket. With the stained and rolled up newspaper in his hand, the man smiled at them. “God damned ants!”

 

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2007 Richard Koss
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
October 2007
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2318
 

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