Hugh J. O'Donnell

He strung the line of colored lights along the gutters, moving the ladder every couple of feet and securing the line on the icy roof. When he was a child, the lights had been big, fragile things, and if a bulb blew, the whole string would go out.
These were tiny LED things that allegedly never needed replacing, and changed colors with the assistance of a handy phone app he would download when Hell froze over.
He climbed back down and plugged them in. The lights popped on, bathing the snowy yard in a rainbow glow. Some things never changed.

“Christmas lights” by BingoBangoGringo is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

Everyone was in position. This heist would make them legends, but everything depended on split-second timing.
The leader gave the signal. Below him, the crowd began their countdown.
“Ten! Nine!”
Team One switched the target for a fake.
“Eight! Seven!”
They loaded it into the helicopter and signaled ready.
“Six! Five!”
At the security hub, Team Two started their distraction.
“Four! Three!”
Team Three switched the computer systems to cover their escape.
“Two! One!”
The helicopter rose into the night. They’d stolen the New Year’s Eve Ball out from under the city’s nose. It was going to be their year.

“Times Square New Years Eve Ball” by ★ SimonPix is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

The Menorah sat in a transparent box in a corner of the hold, with its own small oxygen supply and exhaust system. An open flame was a terrible hazard on a space ship, but an electric one wouldn’t do.
She closed her eyes, said the prayers, and lit the candle. She would have to calculate the burn trajectory and timing before going into suspended animation. The gauges said they were low on fuel and oxygen. But the little ship had come through for them before, and the message had to get through.
She had faith that it would be enough.

“Hanukkah menorah” by skpy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

For the first time in a hundred years, the forecast called for snow.
Stories of winter had been passed down through the generations, and everyone had seen blizzards in old movies or documentary footage. But no living soul ever caught a snowflake on their tongue.
The whole town shut down as people gathered to watch the skies. They set up lawn chairs in the parks and gathered on rooftops, buzzing excitedly and clutching thermoses of hot cocoa and coffee.
Between the myriad car accidents, cases of frostbite, and complaints of being snowed in, the town didn’t reopen for three weeks.

“Snowfall on 12/31/14 – Along Barker Dam trail” by Joshua Tree National Park is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

The three companions travelled west through the desert, sore and tired. Each is a king, but they travel without servants or retainers. Biter rivals, all three of them saw the sign: a star moving backwards in its orbit. So they follow it together, to prevent the others from stealing whatever lies at the journey’s end for themselves.
High above them, the angels push the star against its proper orbit. They are sore and tired, but they push because it is The Plan. Still, one turns to their companions and mutters under their breath.
“This portent could have been an email.”

“(4706 x 3084) Three Magi (Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar) Ravenna” by Carole Raddato is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

The snow fell steadily and thick through the night, making the dawn less of a rising of the sun and more of a gradual lightening from black to a powdery gray-white that faded into a insubstantial flurry.
It was a snow day if ever there was one.
The snow piled up against doors and windows. It buried cars and made roads a slippery mess.
He watched the flakes fall and sighed. It would be the perfect day to stay warm and cozy inside with a mug of cocoa. He could use the break.
But someone had to drive the plow.

“Snow Road” by quinet is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

She believed in wishes and the power of Christmas. As the clock struck midnight, she looked up at the star atop the tree and wished with her whole heart for Peace on Earth.
For a brief time, her wish came true.
But the bough wilts, and the colored light burn out. The wish’s power faded, and by the morning of December 26th, the world reverted back to its old ways.
But she remembers. And now that she knows that world is possible, she is going to do more than wish. She’ll make it happen with the power of her actions.

“Christmas Star” by Bill Ward’s Brickpile is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

He was famous for his Christmas cookies. He spent the rest of the year seeking out new recipes, practicing, and hunting out unique flavors to elevate his creations.
While a few of his less adventurous relatives chided him about introducing them to taro or five-spice blends, his elaborately filled and decorated cookie tins were the toast of the season.
The year he got sick, he panicked that Christmas would be ruined.
He heard a knock at the door and found a box of plain sugar cookies made for him by his niece.
It was the best cookie he’d ever tasted.

“Sugar Cookies” by sinksanctity is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2024 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0