Counterfeit Slaves: Science Fiction

The yellow stitching on the slave collar was the first clue that it was a fake. The terrified look on the slave's face was the second. Well might she be scared; if her new master found out he'd been cheated, he might take it out on her--might even kill her. There were rules about that, and it would prevent him from being able to report the fraud to the police, but that might not stop an intemperate man in the heat of rage. Shaun rolled his eyes. He was on the fraud squad, but he'd come her in pursuit of rumors of counterfeit cash, not slaves. Still, the terrified expression in the girl's eyes was enough to make him intervene. He shouldn't let it affect him, but hadn't he been close to bond-slavery when he was a boy?

Inspiration: Reading a question about yellow stitching and counterfeits, after reading a bit in a book about pursuing slave ships.
Story Potential: Medium.
Notes: Eh. Meh.

"Gone Huntin'" Published!

This is not based on one of my writing exercises here, but I do generally post here when I get something published. "Gone Huntin'" has been published by The Washington Pastime! It's a heartwarming literary story, a bit of a departure for me! I wrote this as a make-it-yourself Christmas present for a Wisconsin relative who hunts. Read it here for free: http://www.washingtonpastime.com/drupal/node/88

The man stamped his feet hard against the stoop when he stepped outside of his cabin. It was an hour yet before sunrise and cold enough that his breath frosted the air, hanging white against the dark of the trees. Even through the layered flannel shirts and down jacket he was wearing, he felt the bite of winter.

Shouldering his rifle, thermos in hand, he walked through the woods to his stand. Birds' sleepy chirps fell silent when he walked by, twigs snapping under his boots. There was just enough light for him to make out the path. When he reached his stand and climbed up the ladder, he saw fresh claw-marks from the black bear that roamed in the area on one of the trees nearby. They shone white against the dark tree bark. He was glad for his rifle.

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