by Will This is based on a true story. The crunch of the snow under my boots kept me company and the stars shone warmly above. The grey light was falling beyond the pine trees, ever so distant. Somewhere under the North Star was a fireplace and a warm bed. In the early afternoon I’d…
Category: Short Story
A Staircase of Stars – Chapter I
by Silent Draco The tale in part was revealed only to Cirdan of the Havens, before he sailed with the Last Ship into the Uttermost West. He murmured hints of this to the Gardners, the hereditary Masters of the Westmarch and Mayors of the Shire. Only this brief account remains from the days of Frodo IV…
A Tomb is Opened in Oklahoma
by Bluestem It must have been like Howard Carter breaking into King Tut’s tomb, albeit on the scale of a flea compared to a blue whale, but nevertheless an exciting moment. When the first shafts of light and the fresh 21st Century breeze met the stale 1980s air and mingled—sending dust wheeling and moving for…
The Beast And The God-Woman – Part 3
by Michael Kingswood Over the next week, Care-ul began acting strangely. At first, her spirits were up, buoyed high by her find, whatever it really was. But then, on the morning of the third day after the discovery, she emerged from her tent distraught. Her eyes were baggy, with dark circles beneath them as though…
Tilt-A-Whirl
by Bluestem “Shelter me from the powder and the finger. Cover me with the thought that pulled the trigger.” —Powderfinger, Neil Young “911, what’s your emergency?” “There’s been a shooting at RR 9 Box 42.” “Wh—“ I hung up, cutting off the operator’s question. There was nothing else to add. They’d know the details soon…
The Beast And The God-Woman – Part 2
by Michael Kingswood Two days later, the God-woman awoke. The elders were not sure how long it would be, or whether she would ever awaken again. But Yili knew she would come around. It was a certainty, as far as he was concerned. The likes of her do not just roll over and die so…
To Hymn Who Waits – Part 2
by Silent Draco II Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas F. McIntyre, USMC (ret, await. recall) took one step back from the thing it mashed into the mudhole. Espying the ranks of guards, he called in his parade-ground voice, “You! Where is your CO!” The demons looked in confusion. No one challenged them, not here! They…
To Hymn Who Waits – Part 1
by Silent Draco I Something unusual happened at the Gates of Heaven. Peter had been called for a special question, so James the Lesser was minding things for a half-eon. Outside, there appeared a burnt blood-red tumescence in the continuum. A lesser demon emerged, keeping its nether portion firmly toward the Gates. It backed…
The Beast And The God-Woman – Part 1
by Michael Kingswood The beach stretched forth as far as the eye could see, a blazing strip of white sand that returned the sun’s touch with a fire of its own as though daring the sun to burn hotter. Small crabs, barely larger than a thumbnail, dug their way up from beneath the scorching sand…
Delphinus – Part II
by Michael Kingswood Part I Sleep was impossible for the rest of the night, and not just because of the horror they’d witnessed. The creatures growled, roared, and barked, and tried endlessly to ascend the shuttle’s hulk. One got halfway up, but Stan knocked it off with a strong kick to the muzzle. Then, after…