The Old One Breathed

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by Scott Wheelock

 

The people blanketed the ground as numerous as grains of sand upon the ocean floor. Now it stood before them as still and vast as a mountain. The God’s head rose far above their view in the gathering storm clouds, but what they saw was enough. They raised their arms as one, then fell upon their knees in utter submission to their new Lord. The high priest whose people had suffered without end over the centuries raised his arms with them and, with tears in his eyes, said the words. Awakening, the Old One breathed out, and the world died.

 

Scott Wheelock

Scott Wheelock is a painter, writer, and teacher living in Philadelphia. More about Scott and his work can be found at  www.scottwheelock.com

Satan’s Butterfly

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by Shawn M. Klimek

 

Spanning the stems of a prickly cactus, a spiderweb glittered in the morning dew like a sequined doily. When a yellow hornet—actually, a demon—descended nearby, the web’s owner warily revealed itself.

“What now?” demanded the spider (also a demon).

“Just watch.”

Pimples like blackberry drupelets erupted all over the hornet’s body. These bulged into pustules, before mushrooming into tarry lobes, like a smoker’s lungs. These swelled and mutated until the mass resembled a bloated, decomposing manatee drowned in crude oil.

“Strange,” gurgled the transfigured hornet.

“Don’t tell me! Satan said you’d become a butterfly—and you believed him?”

 

Shawn M. Klimek

Shawn M. Klimek is the author of the illustrated, poetic fantasy Hungry Thing, with more than 150 works online, and in such anthologies as BHP’s Deep Space, Eerie Christmas, Bad Romance, Jibbernocky, Passenger 13, and the Dark Drabbles series. He lives in Illinois with his wife and their Maltese.
Twitter: @shawnmklimek

Flames of Betrayal

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by Paula R.C. Readman

 

Martha fed more sticks to the fire. Soon the cauldron bubbled.

She took a deep breath and began to chant. She had to get it right.

First, she added rosemary for remembrance and lavender for love.

Would he appear before her as the old witch had promised?

As the two aromas filled the air, Martha opened her eyes.

Joseph stood there.  All smiles and strong in a foggy haze.

How she wanted him, her only true love.

Through the mist another appeared. Joseph wrapped his arms around her.

To the cauldron, Martha added hemlock, cursing him until his dying day.

R.C. Readman

Paula R.C. Readman learnt ‘How to Write’ from books which her husband purchased from eBay. Now a published author of The Funeral Birds, Stone Angels and a collection of short stories Days Pass Like A Shadow.

Where’s Margaret?

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by Kelly Matsuura

 

When Wizard Qarmel took to his death bed, I didn’t want him to die alone.

“What’s Margaret’s address? I’ll send a letter,” I offered. The wizard’s wife had left years earlier, but no one knew her current whereabouts.

“No need.” Qarmel smiled. “She’s with me, always.”

“She’s gone. Remember?”

“Margaret is here,” he insisted.

He opened his robe. In place of skin, his entire chest had become a window of frosted glass. Light from nearby candles danced on the surface.

As did Margaret’s face.

Her ghostly image rippled and weaved; a prisoner forever trapped under ice.

“See? She never left.”

 

Kelly Matsuura

Kelly Matsuura writes diverse YA, fantasy, and literary fiction.
She is the Creator of The Insignia Series’ anthologies (Asian fantasy themed) and has had stories published with Ink & Locket Press, A Murder of Storytellers, Black Hare Press, Harbinger Press, and many more.

Two Wrongs Don’t Save a Changeling

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by K.B. Elijah

 

Cold winds borne from grey skies whipped around me, mixing strands of my green hair with my tears.

“Merle.” Acquisition Officer Karea fluttered down onto the bridge beside me. “You were reported for conducting an unauthorised child transfer.” Her breath caught as she followed my gaze down to the violent, swirling waters beneath us. “What have you done with her?”

“Made sure the human parents keep the changeling,” I snarled. “My child will have a better life.”

Karea choked. “We’ve already conducted the transfer. The baby you took was…yours.”

The corner of a pink blanket disappeared beneath the frothing waves.

K.B. Elijah

K.B. Elijah writes for various international anthologies, and her work features in dozens of collections about the mysterious, the magical, and the macabre. Her own books of short fantasy novellas with twists, The Empty Sky and Out of the Nowhere, are available on paperback and Kindle now. 

Christopher T. Dabrowski

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Christopher T. Dabrowski born in 1978 in Poland. He is writer and scriptwriter.

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Bloody Mary

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by Neen Cohen

 

She fluttered her bright blue eyes in the lights of the nightclub, taking the drink from his over-eager hands.

“Now leave.”

He turned, eyebrows knitting. Tomorrow he would wonder where all the money went with no hangover to show for it.

“You make us look bad.” Teara shook her head despite her ruby red smile.

“We are bad, T. Still…looking sweet and innocent isn’t our fault.”

“It will catch up, one day.”

“Fantastic. I can’t wait for the next challenge.”

She leaned forward, her cleavage bringing the next victim closer.

Her nails slit through his throat, flavouring the drink.

Neen Cohen

Neen Cohen is an LGTBQI and speculative fiction author. She has a Bachelor of Creative Industries and is a member of the Springfield Writers Group. Neen loves to roam cemeteries and botanic gardens and can be found writing while sitting against a tree or tombstone. https://wordbubblessite.wordpress.com

Jasmine Jarvis

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JAMSINE JARVIS is an Australian Author of Speculative Fiction. After joining a local writing group in May 2019, she was encouraged to try her hand at writing fiction – sending off her first pieces of fiction into Black Hare Press’ call out for Beyond. Realising how much fun this writing gig is, and how much she loves to tell stories, Jasmine has continued to shape her writing and is drawn to the absurd, the creepy and the downright terrifying. Since landing her spot in Beyond, she has had 23 drabbles and 4 short stories published. Jasmine hopes her readers enjoy her stories as much as she enjoys writing them.

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The Rise of the Great Old One by Jasmine Jarvis – Launches 31st October 2020

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The idea for The Rise of the Great Old One came about one afternoon – my kids and I had been listening to the recordings of unexplained sounds from the depths of the ocean (check it out – there are some really creepy ones!). We then began to talk about Cthulhu and what if the creatures Lovecraft wrote about in his stories actually exist here and now; and that he saw them and knew we were going to be wiped out, but he couldn’t say outright “hey guys, don’t want to alarm you but have you seen these monsters?

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To Serve and Obey

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by Zoey Xolton

 

Lucifer languished upon the immense, black throne forged of dragon glass. Slumbering by his side, Lilith’s great scaled tail wrapped around the dais, her bejewelled hide wreathed in living flame.

The Fallen Angel reached out and stroked the beast. “Lilith.”

She growled softly, deep in her throat, a rumble of contentment shivering through her as she dreamed. Moments later, she was transformed. Awakening at the King of Hell’s feet, she stretched like a cat.

A primal hunger arose within Lucifer—the fires of the Pit dancing behind his eyes.

“How may I serve you, my Lord?” she purred, her voice husky.

 

Zoey Xolton

Zoey Xolton is a published Australian writer of dark fantasy, paranormal romance, and horror. She is also a proud mother of two and is married to her soulmate. Writing is her passion. She is especially fond of short speculative fiction and recently released her debut collection Darkly Ever After.