Oren was lying in a dungeon cell. The straw beneath him, what there was of it, smelled of urine and fear.
Author: joanspilman
Former teacher, writer of Appalachian Literature, short stories, and fantasy. Current publication, "This Will Never Stop" see Kirkus Reviews, Vol. LXXXXVII, NO. 22 Nov. 15, 2019. Also featured on booktrib, and Booklife. Has published a YA entitled "Sansablatt Head", and books for children under the general title of "The Waddling Dead". Received MFA from Wichita State University where she received the fellowship. Published in Southern Humanities Review, Short Story International, Carriage House Review,Willow Springs, Laurel Review and other literary magazines. Winner of George Garrett Prize for Best Prose, W.WashingtonU. Winner of Microkosmos Fiction Award, WSU. Winner of John Maier Award at Marshall University.
This Textured Darkness, #80
Red Robes had stomped his left hand. They hadn’t touched his right, the hand with the mark, which they avoided out of fear.
Nonna Gaylene Walks the Floor (A Harshbarger Mills Story) part 3
I piled everything in a skillet and heated it until it was palatable, dumped everything in a big bowl, and marched out to his run.
This Textured Darkness, #79
“Elymas has been killing the children for 300 years. I’ve seen them in dreams from which I couldn’t awaken. Sweet faces of angels frozen in death.”
This Textured Darkness, #78
“Ranald steps closer to death every day. The tips of his fingers are black now. Elymas is poisoning him, but I don’t know how,” said Laveth.
This Textured Darkness, #77
“Ranald needs his tonic,” replied Laveth. “He’s gone without for three days and his bones are needled with pain.”
This Textured Darkness, #76
“The twisted stairs. Spiders are there. I haven’t swept them for two weeks.”
” Twisted stairs?” asked the Queen. “What are you talking about?”
This Textured Darkness, #75
“Oh, yes,” said Laveth bitterly and closed the shutter with a bang. “There’s no use railing against what I can’t change.”
Nonna Gaylene Walks the Floor (a Harshbarger Mills Story)
Part 2 I started feeding Pace during the most beautiful Indian summer I’ve ever seen. Lucky feeds the hounds once a day, but by September, Pace was… Read more “Nonna Gaylene Walks the Floor (a Harshbarger Mills Story)”
This Textured Darkness, #74
“Since coming to Castle Ursaulis,” Nan Maura told her. “I’ve seen the death of every Earth Child for the past three hundred years in my dreams. It will make no difference if your son is the King’s get.”
