Author Robert C. Madison

He heard the greatest adventure starts with a single step, so he took it. Didn't plan, didn't pack, just grabbed his favorite #hoodie and went. Yes, he only needed his lucky sweatshirt and his resolve. A few days into his #travel, a guy on the train said he also needed deodorant. #vss365 #vssdaily

Behold that lingering shadow, looming above his confidence like candy #floss. So light, so delicate it can almost disappear with a thought, but there it is, always lingering. For its very nature won't let his maddening #doubt clear. #vss365 #vssdaily

He never waivered in his #commitment to the bit. Sometimes, like now, it involved screwing on a literal red nose. The "honk" might have been a bit much, but it was the bit. His #skin was as thick as that on fresh tomato soup, so the bit was all he had. The curtain rose. #vss365 #vssdaily

This guy had more money than taste. Took a perfectly good automobile and adorned it with so much #bling it begged for attention in the worst way. "Hey," I said. "How can you stand to waste #fuel on that atrocity, what with the price of gas." Of course I expected the haymaker. #vss365 #vssdaily

Been a rough run. Had the kind of #blues that feels like a 12-bar rut. The kind where bad luck and dark clouds get comfortable. Belly up to the bar and bunker down. Get #nervous for the upcoming #bridge, because the next verse could be much worse. #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues

It had been a good day. Bright sunshine but not too hot. Crisp blue sky with some lazy cotton-candy clouds. He stopped and picked a #daisy and stuck it in the laces of one of his #sneakers. The perfect compliment to the pep in his step. It had been a good day. #vss365 #vssdaily

He shrugged through a tempest of fear, leaning heavily upon that crutch of #bravery to succeed. Perhaps there is no stronger force than a #promise one is unwilling to break. #vss365 #vssdaily

Oh, the #sounds affiliated with the old #tape deck. The familiar clacking of entering the cassette and pushing it home. The click of the play button and the whir of the spindles. And the soft hum in the speakers before the music plays. What a #rush. #vssdaily #vss365 #BookishTues

He watched the lone drop of water drip from the old, rusty #spout, slipping into the drain. He thought about its journey, heading from the driftless area in Wisconsin, all the way someday to the Mississippi #delta. What adventures must be in store, lonely old water drop? #vss365 #vssdaily

He felt the soft kiss of snowflakes upon his face as he lay in the snow. He'd never #experienced such a calm moment. He could even hear the snow falling. He didn't feel pain, though he knew he should. As it grew more peaceful, he heard the #sirens. He hoped they'd get there soon. #vss365 #vssdaily

He took in the #moment. The faint scent of flowers, the warmth of the sun on his skin, and soft birdsong melodies. A #sin to ignore these things while the shadow of doom drew near. #vss365 #vssdaily

Summer passed like a #blurred memory. One minute the leaves began to sprout, the next they burst into fall fireworks of red, orange, and yellow. It seemed this way each year, an #island of warmth and endless possibilities sailing into recollection. #vss365 #vssdaily

We crossed the lake on a #summer day #funded by memories, the boat's #sail taught with the kiss of a warm breeze. Gulls barked at us, but they couldn't interrupt our laughter which rose to the fluffy clouds baking above on that lazy afternoon. #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues

What freedom of winged flight, the gift of the birds, wind whistling through bristling feathers as they soar through the soft embrace of clouds and past tree tops to the lonely place where the sky kisses the #mountain. #vss365

A hard rain washed the city streets. So heavy it confused the street lights, and neon shop signs glowed in the puddles along the sidewalk. He walked a normal gait, not one to show weakness to a storm, but then the #clouds parted above a #tavern. Maybe not such a bad day after all. #vss365 #vssdaily

His #bequest to me sat upon the old oak bar. A single vodka #martini. He was a twisted old cynic, but at least he had a sense of humor. In the drink clung two fat Spanish olives, huddling in companionship. I had a sip. Best drink I ever had. #vss365 #vssdaily

Garden #reprieve. Resting against a thick birch, its soft, peeling #bark like tattered pages of a favorite book. Sun dappled upon the countless #plants like old friends. On the soft breeze floats the perfume of the #flowers, as if they're saying, "It'll be alright." #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues

We drove for hours. Through Main Street and the blur of its quaint shops, out around the lake as it reflected the pure white clouds loitering in the endless sky, and past the #quarry where we wasted time as teenagers. The soothing motor's ballad #purified our soul as we drove. #vss365 #vssdaily

The needle kisses the #record. A gentle spark of sound before the music floats from the speakers, filling the room like welcome smoke. I hear car doors outside, angry voices, approaching footsteps. A #reckoning is due. I chamber a round in the old Winchester. A #reckoning is due. #vss365 #vssdaily

"This city is special. It has its own heartbeat that drives a fierce #hunger." "Because of our #location." "Yes, this churning city.' "There's a place across the street that fans its kitchen fumes into the air." "I was being metaphorical." "Want to get a burger?" "Of course I do." #vss365 #vssdaily

Unbridled #passion like a wildfire, devouring everything in its path in a violent need to sustain itself. It #soon became too much and flamed out, a smoldering shadow leaving behind the broken souls of those it consumed. #vss365 #vssdaily

I awake to the rumble of my cat purring, sitting next to me as a sentinel through the night, ensuring my safety so I may feed him come morning. I reach to pet his #fur, but he is already #moving, #embarking on a journey of scant feet, so he is an inch out of reach. #vss366 #vssdaily #BookishTues

I picked up a seashell and put it to my #ear so I could hear the sea. Instead I heard a #storm, with skittering thunder before the peirce of lightning bit my ear. It's what I deserved for disrupting the home of an unnoticed hermit crab. #vss365 #vssdaily

#Exploring the deepest depths of the Earth, I navigate #tight caverns seen by no humans. Exhilarating and spectacular, then the light flickers out. I fumble for the backup. Slipping through damp fingers, I hear it tumble away. Then nothing but darkness, dripping, and my heartbeat. #vss365 #vssdaily

The two coworkers were nothing alike. One whose career burgeoned in #infancy, the other crowed in twilight. One sought mentorship, the other solitude. One wanted to shake things up, the other craved routine. But the pizza party drove both of their morale over the #ledge. #vss365 #vssdaily

Every night in this old house comes a knocking. The time changes from whence it #commences, and behind every door there is no culprit, and yet the knocking proceeds. Upstairs, downstairs, all around, but no one is ever there except the infernal #knock, #knock... #Knock. #vss365 #vssdaily

An #autumnal breeze brings a brisk scent and the skittering of leaves, blowing my thoughts back to simpler times. Was there anything as satisfying as slapping shut a #flip #phone after making Friday night plans with buddies and the weekend spreading out to eternity? #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues

Birdsong begins to fade as the day comes to a close. Lovers #involved in their own worlds walk hand in hand as a #sanguine sunset paints the portrait of an oncoming evening. In this brief moment, it seems everything is ok in the world. This brief moment. #vss365 #vssdaily

His only #vice was #naivete. While others fell to the bottle or slots, he wandered through his days with a peaceful smile as the world burned around him. Sure, he missed a lot, but he took big hits of ignorance and sailed high on the freedom of his bliss. #vss365 #vssdaily

The room seemed a sort of exhibit. Tools of his trade hung with care on the wall. The odor of strong disinfectants lingered, and soft lighting seeming to highlight certain items. Of this macabre #melange, I noticed a #hammer. It hadn't been cleaned, yet. I knew what stained it. #vss365 #vssdaily

"Trust me." "No way. You have terrible #intuition." "No I don't." "Remember that time you thought it would be a great idea to let out a fart as the bride and groom were introduced at their #reception?" "I used the best man's mic." "You did." "That was hilarious." "I rest my case." #vss365 #vssdaily

The #cathedral ripples in the #moonglade of the pond, a peaceful sway on calm night. A #bird skims the water and the #cathedral shimmers away. I look up and see only the quiet wood around me and shiver. #vssdaily #vss365 #BookishTues

She earned her living as a bartender at an #airport lounge, slinging #elixers to weary wayfarers. There were no regulars, just transients with mostly long-distant gazes. Cocktails to ease the heavy minds of the light baggaged. It seemed joyful vacationers skipped the airport bar. #vss365 #vssdaily

Slap another cassette in the tape deck and cruise the boulevard on a Friday night. Street light shadows dance as we drive past, looking better than everyone, while they look better than us. Hair #spray in the center #console to ensure we keep it up. Those were the days. #vss365 #vssdaily

"One must feel true #empathy to find peace." "No sweat." "It is not as easy as one may think." "Sure it is, piece of cake." "Like a #pebble tossed in a vast ocean, it can be hard to find." "Nah, I watched Sesame Street on the #tube as a kid. I'm all set!" "Very well." #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues

A Phil Collins song comes on the radio, and I'm 10 again on a Friday night, snatching a brownie from under #wax paper carefully placed by my mom before she takes me to the roller #skate rink. Drums hit like a time machine. #vss365 #vssdaily

In the living room I hear an issue, within the kitchen a crinkle of #tissue. I leap to my feet ready for attack, as I realize the cat is eating my #snack! #vss365 #vssdaily

#Hunched over the steering wheel as headlamps glow on pavement flashing past like so many bad memories. The open road heads towards the moon, floating without care above distant mountain silhouettes. Wisps of clouds beckon like #pillows as the motor hums a lullaby. #vss365 #vssdaily

A room untouched except by time and dust, frozen before a life cut short. Walls boasted #posters preserving the height of pop culture as it had been. She could almost hear the #tunes blasting from the tinny speakers of a battery-powered boom box. A nostalgic tear said farewell. #vss365 #vssdaily

The #engines never stopped. A constant churning rumbling below the city so the lights never faded. Nothing to stop production. Nothing to stop progress. He yearned for a night of darkness. Of quiet. To soak up that delicacy of peace like a #sponge. Back to work. #vss365 #vssdaily

I arrive at the cabin for the first time on a cool morning. I find a #cord of wood behind the deck, but it's rotten, an #algae condominium throughout the past year. Whomever owned the place before me had criminally neglected the fireplace. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting

He was a con man, selling lies all day and #sleeping soundly on other folks' hard-earned dough. Not sure how he pulled it off, though. The mug's charisma was so thin it'd make a #razor think it needed to go on a diet. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting.

The #underpinning foundation of our family, that #kettle. Some might think it the kitchen table where we gathered, or the hearth where we warmed, or even the house where we stayed safe. No, it was that #kettle, which called to us whenever we were in need. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting

There's #something healing about a warm shower. Water sluicing over muscles as fatigued as the mind, washing the soul like no #soap can. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting

He looked in the mirror and nodded before dragging a #comb over his head to fix an errant lock. He wanted to look perfect for his big #goodbye, although he still didn't know how to say it. Still, the word #rhymed with fly, so he knew he would. #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues

He lived in apartment the size of a #matchbox. Not enough room to decorate or he'd be stuck. It matched his lifestyle, in a way, lived with as much #variety as a dry loaf of Wonder Bread. Not even any mayo to break up the day. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting

"What do you think?" "A unique case, but I think #acid is the murder weapon." "How so?" "It's subtle, but you can see a glowing green substance around the 12-inch hole in his gut." The patrol officers gawked at him, having proved his reputation as a #shrewd cartoon detective. #vss365 #vssdaily

Soup and salad, like two healthy henchmen. #Cling to the #fork as I drive it into the lettuce, as though the utensil would ricochet into oblivion. Don't have this problem with pizza. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting

The #bus sat rusting, tires long since gone, so the #garden adopted it. Wildflowers formed a colorful moat around the pale yellow hulk. A sapling maple took residence in its middle. In the warm sun of an autumn afternoon, I thought I heard children's laughter among the birdsong. #vss365 #vssdaily

The #laundry machine wound down. He heard the tapping of a #beetle's steps as it made its way across the floor. He scooped it up and took it out, smiling as it flew to freedom. Fresh linen welcomed him back as he wondered how #evil thrived with such joys in the world. #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues