It was like walking into the unreal calm of a landscape painting. Mountains and forests were half-hidden by mist in the distance. The far off crags seemed to float in…
Fantasy
The Strange Voyage of Annabel Lee
(a spoondrift, a flickering filmstrip, even a dream) Distant cities may or may not exist; they are only real in imagination—until you visit one, causing it to collapse into brick…
The Mischief Maker
Children shall I tell you the story of Maggie and the tiniest banshee? Well gather round and don’t interrupt. A very long time ago, long, long before our kind had…
Brother, I Killed a Fox
Hunter and the others sat at a table outside the cabin when they heard the gunshot—but not the screams that quickly followed it—as he finished dealing the cards and each…
The Hollow Earth Companion
“The air is rarified; prepare to modify your breathing upon arrival. Consider taking a yoga or even a Lamaze class before travellng, as some tourists report that this helps in…
The Book of Mary
A Mary was born in a city, and half of her was pregnant. No one knew that this was so, except for Mary; no one knew that she bore half…
Like a Spider
Coyle was mucking a stall when the villager came running in. “In the flower patch! In the flower patch! There’s a–who’re you?” “The new stable hand,” Coyle said. “Of what…
The Haunting of Piedras Blancas
There is no end to my love for Jemjasee. I pace the ragged cliffs, searching the sea for her ship. My longing will not cease until I am entwined in…