Happy Halloween - new short story

Happy Halloween!

Come, enter my sanctum sanctorum....

I'm hoping you are finding this from a safe and secure location, considering the storm Sandy along our east coast. 

Just for today I'm going almost all out. I'm offering several of my works for free, including my latest and popular, EarVu that went up to #6 on Amazon on Monday. But also there is another popular short story of mine, Simon's Beautiful Thought, about a man and his smart phone's AI. Japheth, Ishvi and The Light, is a short Zombie story about a religious commune, a Decon squad of soldiers and the Zombie Apocalypse. I tried last night, but I'm afraid that I didn't get that one published soon enough for a free promotion day on Amazon, so it's available but for 99 cents. However, drop by tomorrow and I'll have it available then.

Andrew, my horror novella about a young child and some horrific and powerful events in his life which leads to, (and finally) my full length horror book (not for the faint of heart), Death of Heaven (see also, DeathOfHeaven.com). Finally, my Anthology of Evil, a collection of some of my more vintage short stories (I'm currently compiling a new, Anthology of Evil II, also). Hey, go nuts!

We've also just sold our first iPod cover available with the Ear Vu cover design on it!

If you are being inconvenienced by that wicked wench Sandy blowing the hell out of your life, and you can access this blog, then perhaps it will offer you some free relief in readings to subvert your attention until things get back to normal in your life. And if you're not going through some horrendous storm, enjoy. Either way, please feel free to share.

All the best to everyone and do avoid the more scary spirits (though some of the liquid ones might just be called for in this weather....)!

For now, here is a short-short story that I won a little award for earlier this year, called....

The Regent's Daughter

_-^-_

She rode in on a steed of excessive grandeur. She came to an abrupt stop, slipping off the beast with no consideration for who was around. An attendant rushed to her and handed her a goblet of Royal mead. She took the cup and the attendant rushed off to alert the Regent, Her Father.

Sipping, she smiled. Who wouldn’t? For what it cost that drink could feed me for an entire week of Sundays. A brace of Men-at-Arms rushed to surround her as all shrunk back. Even to approach her could mean death, were she in a bad mood; be it lunar inspired or elsewise.

She turned, looking around her and taking in the area. The market surrounded the entrance of her Father’s castle while a moat hugged the castle walls below the drawbridge she stood nearby. Between her family’s army and their wealth, no one in the country would ever attempt an attack.

But paranoia, is for the powerful.

I wasn’t paranoid. I had nothing anyone would want. But then my life was worthless. I had no family, belongings, or money. Just, a skill. I could outshoot anyone with bow or blade. Yes, blade. But that was neither here nor there. So, I just stood and stared at her. God, she was incredible. I would give my left arm for one night with such a woman. If she let me, I would….

She snapped her head around and stared directly at me, locking eyes with me as she sipped. The soldiers around her snapped to as if she had exclaimed a warning. But there hadn’t been a word, just a blink of her left eye. I began to sweat. It was hot out but that wasn’t it. Her eyes drilled into and through me. I had heard tales, stories of what had happened to her lovers. I heard she was like a black widow. You tasted her love, then you didn’t live to tell about it.

I backed away and she nodded slightly at me. I froze. She had indeed noticed me. It wasn’t just my imagination. That imagination that had gotten me beaten repeatedly as a child. My father hated inattention. One time I wasn’t paying enough attention to pumping the bellows on his fire as he was heating metal to make a sword and….

She stepped toward me.

My thoughts froze. I took another step back.

“Here,” she said, grinning.

I started to back away but her men started toward me. I stopped. They stopped. I sighed. She smiled. So, I walked forward. Twenty paces later, I stopped directly before her.

“M’Lady,” I said.

“Name?”

“Harcurt,” I replied.

“Harcurt,” she retorted. “What is that you have there?”

I had a bow strung over my back, a quiver over my shoulder. But that was nothing to someone such as, She.

“Nothing, M’Lady,” I said, confused.

“You looked at me,” she said, confidently.

“I-I, yes, M’Lady. I am sorry. I looked, but what man could not behold such beauty when it dismounts right before a man.” I broke further into a sweat. She smiled. It was a horrific smile to behold on such a beautiful face.

“Yesss, I know,” she said, smirking in a fearsome way. “Not to worry,” she said, “here, drink.”

“No, M’Lady, I couldn’t presume, surely. I….”

“Here, drink,” she commanded. No one had ever felt more uncomfortable, ever, I was sure. I took the goblet from her. Nervously, I lifted it to my lips and sipped. It was delicious and it burned my lips, my tongue. I swallowed and I could feel it fluidly seeking my belly. Suddenly, I felt a burst of energy, sexuality and confidence. I smiled and handed it back. She took it and smiled back, knowingly at me.

“You see, it was worth is. Yes?” I smiled at her.

“Yes, M’Lady. ‘Twas in deed,” I said.

“Now, you must pay for it.”

“M’Lady?”

“Your eye.” She nonchalantly snapped her head to a soldier and within seconds, my right eye was looking at my left on the ground. The pain was immense. But I could only think of how I was still alive, and what a story this would make in any public house, anywhere.

Smiling, reading my mind, she nodded and walked off.

###

Some Ladies are just, evil. Know what I mean? Remind you of anyone you know? Here's hoping not.

Once again, hoping all you on the East US coast are safe and comfortable today and that any scares or fears you may have are planned, entertaining, and lacking any true sense of reality.

Wishing you a safe and sane, fun and comfortable, and a very, very Happy Halloween!

Cheers!