“Salmon,” I said, nodding my head as the plane came in for a landing on the Binghamton county air strip. “Smoked salmon. That’s what I’m going to have him make when we get there.”
November Novella: Lambs
This month’s Patreon novella is Lambs. The whole thing is available on my Patreon, along with- at this point- a whole 8 others! For five dollars a month, you can also vote for the novellas I do in the future, and have a chance at a free 10,000 word commission. Starting for February, the choices are
Damage Control: Action, Buddy Cop/Special Ops. The Esoteric Forces of the United States is in charge of keeping things under wraps. Preventing anyone from learning the truth, a truth that would shatter the assumptions the world is built on. Sometimes, things get too big to keep under wraps. The only thing that they can do is try to roll with it. In the aftermath of the events of Skin Hunger, Sergeant Fetu Miller must undertake four missions to stabilize the situation. And worse, he must undertake them with an unexpected trainee.
Still Life: Horror, Post-Apocalypse, Romance. A young man wakes up to find the world suddenly emptied. Wandering the streets, he finds that the only other things are what he terms the Mannequins, plastic dolls that only move while he isn’t watching them. While slow and not particularly strong, he nonetheless finds himself being stalked by them, staying constantly ahead of their approaches. Then, he hears a radio signal being broadcast from nearby- By another human. Specifically, a young woman.
A Big, Bright, Shining Star: Sex Comedy, Action. A mysterious figure has been scouring the San Fernando Valley’s criminal underbelly for the better part of a week, claiming to be the goddess Ishtar, threatening to punish mankind for their sins- though her method of punishment is a bit unusual. The entrenched demonic figures in San Fernando Valley don’t want an outsider horning in on their business, but if she is who she claims to be, they may not stand a chance… Not to mention that the criminals she’s punished have been unsettlingly eager to do what she wants.
Chapter 1: Resolutions in Favor of Vegetarianism
“God is dead. And should we not follow his example?”
Chapter 11: Nachtka Wai Loses
In the sea, perfection is all around us. In the sea, we are cushioned from the vagaries of chance and mutation and all of those countless catastrophes that regularly rock the surface world. There are creatures in the sea that are so perfect that they have not changed in hundreds of millions of years. Sharks remain a perfect predator, largely unchanged over the course of time that dwarfs any civilization’s lifespan. Their behavior does not change. Their diet does not change. They continue, eternal, and beautiful.
Chapter 10: Horace Gets Mad
The water churned as it filled in the sink hole. My fingers throbbed with each beat of my heart. The earth stood still beneath my feet.
Chapter 9: Horace Gets Left Alone
There was someone warm in my bed. I shifted slightly, an arm going over them, squeezing them gently. They were soft. I squeezed a little bit tighter, pressing my face into warm, soft, faintly musky hair. I felt an ear flick against my nose, and a soft purr filled the air, the vibration rocking my chest. “Good morning, Horace.”
The Sunsquat
This story comes courtesy of one of my oldest and most well-loved supporters, Doom7951, an excellent friend who has supported me financially, emotionally, and writing-wise for years now; It’s one of the Patreon rewards, and was written based on his idea of a guy finding that an urban legend he’s trying to make up has become real.
Chapter 8: Walter Carries a Grudge
When I was sixteen, in 1964, I joined the navy. I was Polish, which made my joining the Russian navy an unusual event, to say the least. But I had a hunger for greatness. I wished to be someone, to make my mark on the world.
Chapter 7: A Fat Guy Tries to Bite Horace.
Monday morning broke. For the first few peaceful moments, it was beautiful. Sunshine, the rich and welcoming light of dawn peeking across the valley, setting the hilltops ablaze. Green trees swaying in the breeze, and the soft low buzz of life in full swing outside. The blissful amnesia of sleep left my mind free to worry about minor, silly things. Where’s Betty? Where’s Li? What am I going to make them for dinner today?
Continue reading “Chapter 7: A Fat Guy Tries to Bite Horace.”
Chapter 6: Horace Finds Swords.
“Come on!” I growled, tugging Ku. She stared at the dissolving figure. “Ku! There’s only so much-” I looked down the corridor, and saw half a dozen Atlanteans in strange and colorful armor swimming towards us. “Oh, fucking hell!” I looked over at the wall. “Get us away from them!”
Chapter 5: Ku’s Dad Makes a Deal
I studied the holy geometers. Triangle for violence, the sharp points of a tooth. Quadrangle for stability, the flat sides of a brick. Pentangle for magical power, the fingers of the hand, the basis of all manipulation. Hexangle for resilience, the six sides of the scale. And the circle. I paused over that for a moment. The circle, which could have countless angles, or only one; the symbol of ambiguity. Of divinity constrained. Both infinite, and utterly limited. The order mattered. For this, more than so many other things.
hellskitchensink 