How Does This End?

This episode is another scrapper. It played a bit part in another story I submitted to Nature Magazine’s weekly science fiction feature ‘Futures’. Again, my limited abilities were a disservice to the story, but I felt there was something here. Humans are capable of limb regeneration, did you know that? Not whole arms and legs, though. Not hands or even entire fingers—but the tips of a finger are c...

This episode was a long time coming. Some digital platforms on the internet advertise writing competitions hosted on their websites with large cash prizes (in the ballpark of $10-20,000). Enticed by the thought of the prize money and the potential for increased promotion of my work, I submitted an entry to two contests. I wrote that last sentence like I was calm and composed at the time. Remember...

This episode is about inheritance. All of us are amalgamations of our parents, who are, themselves, a mixture of their parents, and so on. As a result, we are their mirror image. That includes the beneficial, benign, and malignant. I, for one, have a family history of breast cancer, thyroid cancer, colon cancer, asthma, seasonal allergies, and a male-pattern underbite that sees my mandible creep f...

This episode is a work of catharsis. An attempt to understand the loss of a family member who’d been with Hallease and me since we first married. The family member just so happened to be a dog, which many will say trivializes my grief. You may believe what you’d like, but the heart does not know the difference when something or someone leaves your life. It just feels the vacuum of love, and the pa...

This episode is some old-school stuff. Middle school. 20-years ago type of stuff. The kinds of silly things that people used to go crazy over seem so innocuous and innocent now: trading cards. Beanie Babies. Dial-up internet. But that’s when the story is based. We have to go further back for more context. According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, in November of 1975, in the small town of Robst...

Season 2 feels like a milestone because there are a lot of podcasts with only a handful of episodes. This podcast won’t be counted among them, which feels like an accomplishment. I’m also excited for the stories this season. I think there’s more depth to them. They’re also a bit longer, and I think that’s for the better. But back to the episode. Reactions fascinate me. All of them. Emotional respo...

Season 2 of How Does This End? will be launching this Friday, February 4th and I'm so excited to bring some new stories to you. If you haven't already, make sure to follow me on Instagram @HDTE.mp3 so you don't miss out. Our cover art for season 2 will be provided by Edgar Lushaju , check out his work on Instagram @drawhapa . Be well, do good and I'll see you on Friday. 

Do better. Stories are portals to other worlds, timelines, and lives. This one recalls an instance that I wish had played out differently. Trapped within the folds of our minds there is boundless potential. We are capable of such good. So let’s try to do better. This episode is titled, “No Cure for Some Ills, and Yet, a Duty to Act.” Enjoy the podcast? Support it on Patreon. Patreon.com/howdoesthi...

Work. Work. Work…No work. Too much work. Stupid work. Yeah, I was feeling a certain type of way about work for this episode. This episode was one of two that had only one voice but two characters referenced. Sea monkeys are also referenced. This episode is titled, “The Effects of Choice, Consent, and Purpose: A Study”. Enjoy the podcast? Support it on Patreon. Patreon.com/howdoesthisend Give direc...

A bank vault. The Pope’s nose. Psychics and sports betting. This episode’s story is the result of letting my mind wander. It’s a cross-section of a bigger story, maybe, but I wanted to focus on dialogue between two characters. I also decided to give voice-acting and accents a try as well. Let me know what you think via Instagram, the website, or patreon. This episode is titled, “Losin’ it”. Enjoy...

The timing of this story this late after Halloween is unfortunate, especially since Christmas displays are ubiquitous now. Spooky stories aren’t everyone’s thing, but I just ask that you give this one a shot. This episode’s story is modeled after my late-night drives back home after working in a North Austin Emergency Department. The trip home was short, but mercilessly dark and lonely. There was...

In this episode, I mention that not every story can be your favorite. My wife and I are coming back from a family function, which has given me time to reflect, and I think that sentiment is unfair to the story. I like this story. I love this story. I would not have put it out if I thought otherwise. I’m not a parent but I assume that every child brings something different to the table, these stori...