#StoriesForgedInInkAndAsh – Dennis D Montoya

An Alaska Cruise, a Snakeskin Hat, and the Rock Star We Didn’t Recognize

We spent an Alaskan cruise whispering jokes about the guy in the snakeskin hat acting like he was famous. Spoiler: he was Bret Michaels.

The Resting Irritated Face

I caught my reflection mid-thought the other day — jaw tight, eyebrows furrowed, eyes narrowed like I was interrogating my own mirror. Classic resting-bitch face. The truth? I was just trying to remember the word metaphor. I’ve been told I look angry when I think. Not passionate or focused — angry. I blame the eyebrows. They’re thick, serious things. Left untrimmed, they could probably claim diplomatic status. When they furrow, I go from approachable to “you’ve disappointed the council” in half a second.

The Polar Bear Plunge!

A split-second of panic, a ten-foot drop into 39.9°F water, and a lesson I didn’t know I still needed.
My first Polar Bear Plunge didn’t just steal my breath — it reminded me what resilience really feels like.

An Old Light, Still Burning, for Altruism

For centuries, faith and science walked hand in hand. Monks brewed beer with chemist’s precision. Sisters ran hospitals when no one else could. And somewhere between a prayer and a telescope, humanity learned how to ask questions that mattered.
This essay isn’t about religion. It’s about curiosity — about how devotion once meant studying the world, and how maybe, in a new form, it still can.

The Death Of A Cosplayer

Dylan had heard the stories, creatures prowling the night, hunting for bodies. Ghouls, zombies, vampires. Vampires were his favorite version. No one really believed them. Not even him. The comic convention had been a bust. Maybe a dozen people showed up in costume, and not one recognized his Strider cosplay. Disappointed, he ducked out early,Continue reading “The Death Of A Cosplayer”