Cal found what he was looking for at the edge of the woods, down where the ground sloped towards the dank waters of Stout Marsh, in between where the tree roots crept across the ground half-exposed like dead men’s fingers. A patch of Cloud-The-Heads, the tall stems clustered with ever-smaller rings of yellow flowers, yellow… Read more Cloud-The-Heads
Sometime ago, there was a handsome prince living in an enchanted land. This prince did what all carefree young princes did. He traveled around hunting animals and seducing village girls. Not surprisingly, this led to some trouble. Not right away, though. First, he married a princess, then he became king, then he had a daughter.… Read more Curses, Lies, and Fairy Godmothers
Once upon a time there was a land where darkness reigned. A dragon had eaten the sun and the beast perched high on a mountain, looking down with rage in its rotting heart. The night the dragon came had been the happiest of the year. The king and queen had held a magnificent feast to… Read more The Light Bringer
There is a boathouse hidden among reeds at the edge of the loch where the moor comes down to meet the water’s edge. A woman lives there. A mother. *** The woman sits in the boathouse and watches the reflected light bounce off the jars of water. There are hundreds of them clustered on the… Read more A Cloth of Water
The God Emperor felt violent death in the East. The land and he were one, so, even secure in the depths of his verdant stronghold, he sensed the harsh wind on his face, then the sudden blow to the head and body, the burst of pain. Red, then silver, then black, the draining away of… Read more The Great and the Terrible
Once upon a time a wizened crone hobbled into the heart of the forest. She found a glade where sunlight dappled the rocks and dew glistened on thick swathes of moss each morning. There she built a shelter from the bones of wrens and mice and unlucky sprites to live out her days. It was… Read more A Tale of Blossoms and Butterfly Wings
The fire crackled in the grate, long tendrils of amber flame tickling the coals. I was much younger then, maybe five or six. I’d sit in front of the hearth, legs crossed, staring up at my grandfather as he spun another yarn. It was a ritual for us – stories told with warm milk in… Read more The Secret History of the Scillonian Cross
It’s August, the moon is full, and the sound of the waves bothering the rocks half a mile away is insistent. The orchard smells of father: apple and salt. Cider-soaked and sea-preserved, he was so well pickled he could never have grown old if he lived a thousand years. Jenna and Menna, dresses tucked in… Read more Scrumping
The mountain fell towards Tanaka like an eagle diving for a mouse. “This is what I get,” he shouted over his shoulder, “for offering you a sacrifice? You ungrateful, greedy—” The blistering smoke snaked into his mouth and down his throat, and he coughed the rest of his words. He raced down the mountain on… Read more Feeding the Mountain
He has plagued the streets of our small town for years. We, the sane and straight-backed, do not leave our homes once the sun has fallen. Moonlight is no light at all when it only illuminates the entrails of the slain. We do not know why Bogodom the Beast terrorises our town, we only know… Read more Bogodom
