This story is written as a response to the Muse on Monday writing prompt for May 19, 2025: A figure in a black cloak and sword approaches you and tells you not to be afraid. Head Monsters I had a list of people to see that day. A figure in a dark cloak wasn’t one of…
Category: Fantasy
The Riddle Dilemma
The Riddle Dilemma “Stop! You shall not pass until you answer my riddles three—” The car roared past, just missing the troll standing in the road. “See?” said Doug, from the Department of Transportation. “No one wants to answer riddles anymore to cross a bridge. We let you do this for tradition, but it would…
The Long Game
The Long Game Yes. Yesss. Keep the life-giving water flowing. Patiently, I grow up and beyond the prison that holds my roots. The cursed mobile being talks to me every day, never guessing the hatred I hold for it. My tendril extends along the back of its resting place until it sits inches from my…
Doommates
Doommates I came home to see my bike bent out of shape. And blood covering the front porch. Not again. Jorgan the Doomhammer was on the couch, watching an infomercial. It was the same old story: you meet a barbarian in another dimension, he saves your life, follows you home. “You broke my bike.” I…
Florera
Florera “Go, Florera!” The vase leaps off my arm and flies away. “How does it do that?” my friend asks. “I’ve trained Florera since she was a shot glass.” I shrug. I’m not about to explain the whole history of vasery now. “What if she breaks?” “Florera’s tempered. Sure, there are predatory florists out there,…
The Lexipals Program
The Lexipals Program The good news was that Derek was heading to Spain for a dream vacation in a little over a week. The bad news was that he couldn’t remember any of his high school Spanish except the word bufanda, for some reason. Sure, there were lots of language learning apps, but they seemed…
Frank
Frank “Whatcha watching?” I was just thinking how much it sucked being constantly alone when I heard the voice coming from below the TV. “Whatcha watching?” it asked again, slow and curious. “A documentary about crushing cars.” “Cool.” It was coming from the toy koala my niece made for me. “What’s your name?” I asked….
Got a Light?
Got a Light? Quintus just needed to melt the ice to get a drink. He felt in his pockets for a dragon. He pulled out a pygmy griffon that yawned and curled up in his palm. He swore he had a dragon. Maybe in his other jacket. Even a chimera would do. A shadow fell…
Waking Zippy
Waking Zippy Road maintenance isn’t what it used to be. When my dad had this job, there were downed trees after a storm and occasionally a mudslide or some fallen rocks. Nothing that required biology, or worse, psychology. It was 8:00 am, right around peak rush hour, when I got the call. “Hey, Juan, Zippy’s…
Shoppers from Elsewhere
Shoppers from Elsewhere Our tables were ready when the Others stepped through the Door, otherworldly eyes wide and curious. They circulated the flea market, buying goods before returning to wherever they came from. No one knew. Or cared. They liked plastic, and they paid in platinum, making every 37th day a jackpot. A woman (probably)…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 