Guest Authors The Third Collection contains exciting, stimulating stories and tantalizing, terrorizing tales carefully selected from only the world's most reclusive, rarely read, and virtually unknown authors. These twelve selections have been methodically chosen, and guaranteed, to consume your mentality, enlighten your awareness, entertain, and magically mystify you. This Third Collection targets all those everywhere who are young at heart, which of course is everyone, for their reading enjoyment. The contributing authors in this Collection are Rupert "Rip" Tile, Ghast Lee Tale, "Bum" P. Rode, U. B. Smartt, Nathaniel "Nate" Shure, Smoke N. Gunn, Ester Whipple, and Sandford "Sandy" Beach. Do you have the courage? Do you dare read this book? Within these pages you can know what True Love really is, learn the origin of one of our most popular beverages, see how some people earn money, and find The Solution for It. Also, learn of a brewing Revolt, experience a couple made for each other in My Twin Flame, and see how May Belle Vega became The Richest Woman in the West. Enjoy a Holiday Gift, get ready for The Senior Prom, and help investigate a murder on South Padre Island. Then witness The Forest Incident, and take an action packed Sea Cruise. Go ahead, take a deep breath, open the cover, dive in, and enjoy!

Guest Authors

The Third CollectionBy Ron Curtis

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Ron Curtis
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-8681-7

Contents

True Love..................................1Roadside Assistance........................7Sherry.....................................15The Solution...............................25The Revolt.................................35My Twin Flame..............................43Biography..................................67May Belle Vega.............................69The Holiday Gift...........................123The Senior Prom............................129Murder on the Island.......................143The Forest Incident........................155The Sea Cruise.............................163

Chapter One

True Love

By Rupert "Rip" Tile

Mid-Sunday afternoon, Reverend Frank Franklin decided to take a leisurely stroll to The Plaza from his church on Canyon Road. Standing strongly like his convictions, the church sat clustered tightly around some of the finest art galleries in the world. Reverend Franklin decided to take advantage of the beautiful, cloudless, crisp Autumn day shining gloriously on Santa Fe after another highly successful Sunday morning preaching the gospel, and ministering to the needs of his congregation. Consumed and immersed in the Sunday spirit of his life's mission, Reverend Franklin stepped onward, ever ready with the anointment and dispensation of the healing spirit in service to his fellow man.

Reverend Franklin made his leisurely way to his favorite bench in the still vibrantly emerald, green-grassed, huge-tree lined, downtown square of The Plaza. Finding his bench unoccupied, The Honorable Reverend sat, stretched and relaxed to meditate and receive inspiration for next Sunday's sermon. He nonchalantly gazed westward enjoying the spectacular view of the early snow-saturated Jemez Mountains. The Jemez Mountains always looked to him to be reaching for heaven in the clear, invigorating royal blue sky.

'Always reaching for heaven,' Reverend Franklin thought, 'yes, that might make a good topic for next Sunday's sermon!' 'Yes, we always are reaching for heaven,' meditated the Right Reverend. He observed the casual, artistic ambiance of the happy people enjoying this soothing Sunday afternoon, all 'reaching for heaven' enjoying the sunshine, architecture, friendship, and restaurants of this historic town's center.

A massaging light breeze blew, accentuating the warmth of the sun, and invigorating the spirit within him. He breathed deep wishing to stop time in these heavenly seconds on this spectacular Sunday afternoon. 'What a perfect day,' acknowledged Reverend Franklin letting a wide, happy smile consume his face. 'Peace, tranquility, and good will toward all men,' radiated the Reverend's silent mantra through closed, but smiling lips. The sunshine had a powerfully, rejuvenating effect on the Reverend, 'Perfect, a perfect day,' he meditated, feeling the spirit shed enlightenment within his being-ness.

Through the laughter, the relaxed chatter, the gentle sounds of the breeze in the trees, something sounded out of place. He listened more intently. It seemed to be a sound of suffering. Concerned now that someone may need healing and spiritual administration, he gazed to the left and to the right of The Plaza. There, two benches to his right, a man openly wept, hunched over, loudly sobbing with shoulders shaking. The Reverend could see his tears from where he sat. Concerned and compassionate, Reverend Franklin felt perplexed considering if he should intercede, and heal the man's distress.

Filled with the fiery fervor of the Sunday Spirit, the Reverend quickly knew that his life's calling demanded that he anoint, and give healing dispensation, to alleviate the suffering of this man in misery. Though the suffering man is a stranger to the Reverend, his oath dictated that he attend to, and remedy with the spirit, the pain within mankind, irregardless of anything else. Ever conscientious of his duty, the Reverend casually stood, and slowly strolled toward the man in misery.

Respectful and considerate, the Reverend lightly sat at the far end of the bench on which the suffering man's shoulders gyrated as he sobbed a stream of steady tears. Waiting to time his speech to coincide with a lull in the man's crying, the Reverend sat uncomfortably forward with his elbows on his knees.

The Reverend, being in his mid-fifties, believed it'd be correct to address the younger, tormented man, in his early thirties, in the proper ministerial way. "My Son ..."

The startled sufferer jerked in surprise not knowing that someone else had sat on the bench.

"My Son, I'm Reverend Franklin."

The sobbing man's distressed spasms halted as he tried to comprehend the stranger's words.

"My Son, all our worldly torments are fleeting, and will soon pass."

Huh?" The agonizing, younger man uttered with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"This period of suffering will pass, I promise."

"What?"

"You see, My Son, periods of suffering help us treasure and enjoy our times of peace." The Rightful Reverend healingly peered deeply within the distressed, young man's eyes trying to touch and sooth his heart. "What ails you, My Son? Let me share your weight."

"I ... my ..." He burst blubberingly back into spasmodic suffering.

The Reverend waited, letting the explosive storm pass. After minutes, the man's tears still rolled, but the loud convulsions had subsided.

"My Son, I can help you. What is the problem?"

In between liquid sniffles, the younger man began to open up. "It's ... It's ... my baby ... she left me!" Realizing reality, the young man's crying contortions renewed then briefly stopped, "I came home, and she was gone!" His anguished, suffering spasms renewed. The Reverend waited patiently to help, and heal, nodding his head in knowing affirmation. The vast majority of torment and misery he'd administered to had dealt with failed relationships, and here, obviously, is another.

Softly, the Reverend asked, "How long have you known her?"

Tumbling, trembling tears trickled as he unsteadily replied, "A long time now. I brought her here from Florida, from the Everglades, years ago."

The Reverend mentally noted that shattered, long term relationships cause the deepest pain. "My Son, did you have an argument or disagreement?"

"No, of course not. I give her everything she needs, I always have. I've always treated her good."

"Sometimes in life, My Son, there's an abrupt change of heart, and then we must adjust, and continue on with our productive lives."

"Oh, I know she loves me, she's ..."

"Has she told you she loves you?"

Sniffling, "Well, no, but by her actions, I know she does, she's ..."

"Possibly, My Son, her view is a long-term friendship with you."

"No, she loves me, I know she does," he strongly stated with authority. "This is the seventh time she's left me!"

"Seven times?" The surprised Reverend asked.

Slowly shaking his head to the affirmative, hunched over, and severely suffering, the younger man said, "Yeah."

To The Reverend, this indicated another excellent example of the foibles of human nature, that human beings continue to fool themselves only to be hurt by their foolishness. The Reverend, in his proper administration, went directly to the problem. "My Son, surely you realized several times ago that something is missing in your...