A young woman finally learns the truth about what happened when her grand-aunty accepted a dare to knock on the door of a mysterious manor. Genre: Horror   Excerpt: Naomi clicked on her recorder, took a deep breath, and asked her grand-aunty Z about the one thing that her mother and grandmother told her to never, ever, never, never, ever ask her about. “Aunty, what did you see when you went into Mausefalle Manor? And how is it that you got out when so many other people never did?” Her aunty, whose full name was Zelda, responded by glancing down at the plate on the coffee table between the ..read more

A family is haunted by a demon who collects the fallen baby teeth of the children, and who soon hungers for more and more teeth, even when there are none for them to offer. Genre: Horror   Excerpt: Many doctors and healers had tended to him. But the family he left behind, to whom he was beloved, blamed only one. The doctor of teeth. For before he came, the patient appeared to be suffering some pain but in general was in good spirits. It was poor luck, on the part of the doctor of teeth. The infection had already taken hold. None could have stopped it. But the family did not know this. And ..read more

Traveling on a road at night that cuts through the woods, one driver fears encountering dangers both natural and supernatural. Genre: Horror   Excerpt: The car had been behind me for a while, even before we turned onto Dollortop, the road that just barely split the sprawling woods that separated the counties. I gripped the steering wheel at ten and two, and glanced at the rearview mirror, as I eased my foot off the accelerator. My car began to slow.   What’s the Writing Prompt that inspired the story?Looks like this story was inspired by “Over the River and Through the Woods,” a Than ..read more

Be advised: This episode contains some intense music and sound effects.  A group of friends venture into an abandoned tunnel against the warnings of one of them, who senses there is something in the tunnel that won’t let them get to the other side. Genre: Horror   Excerpt: Bradley rubbed his hands together and looked at Amora. “It’s show time.” Phoebe walked over to Amora, whose dark-eyed gaze was still staring ahead at the tunnel. “Take your time,” Phoebe said. She wanted to tell Bradley to stop staring, but she figured it would only make Amora feel more self-conscious. “So?” Bradle ..read more

Do the voices coming from the food in my fridge and pantry want to harm me, help me, or just…be?  Genre: Science Fiction   Excerpt: “Tell me I’m sane,” I said. There was a pause on the other end. And then he finally spoke.  “I refuse.”  I sighed. “Freddy, come on.” “Give me some context, then.”   What’s the Writing Prompt that inspired the story?Describe each day of the week as food. Source: 500 Creative Prompts. Copyright © 2019 Piccadilly (USA) Inc.   Faster FictioneerEver wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method.  ..read more

A bard embarks on a quest to discover what it is that the dragons guard at the center of a maze made of the primal cosmic elements.  Genre: Fantasy   Excerpt: Once upon a time, there was an ocean of water and at the center of this ocean of water was an ocean of sand and at the center of this ocean of sand was an ocean of air and at the center of this ocean of air was an ocean of fire. This ocean of fire was the realm of the dragons.   What’s the Writing Prompt that inspired the story?Prompt: Write a short story beginning with the line “Once upon time…” Source: A Writer’s Year: 3 ..read more

A small team of marine explorers searches for a treasure from an arcane myth, a jewel that fell from the heavens.   Genre: Science Fiction   Excerpt: “So the gods order the sea fairies to wreck the ship,” Dalil continued. “I mean tear it apart until nothing is left, not even a single plank for the princess to grab onto to survive. But here’s the thing, the thing that the king didn’t know and the gods didn’t know—because they never paid attention to the girl. She was great friends with the fairies of the sea. She loved the beaches of her kingdom. And she loved the sea. And she would b ..read more

The heiress of an unexpected fortune learns the cost of becoming too attached to her newfound riches after she is cursed by a magical vagabond.  Genre: Fairy Tale   Excerpt: “But beware that you cling too tightly to your riches, madam. For gold likes best to glitter in the light, and if you confine it, it will seek to fly away. Your treasure will turn against you.”  “So says one who has no treasure,” Gilda said. “Your words are as empty as your pockets.”  The old man raised his voice, for the carriage was now moving away. “A necklace is a noose and a ring is a sting. What i ..read more

A young mage facing a difficult homecoming finds a treasure by the side of the road, a stolen treasure whose true owner she cannot find, and whose last owner is a terrible troll. Genre: Fairy Tale   Excerpt: With one hand, she raised the sack, as she waved the other before her eyes, casting a lensing spell that would allow her to see any magical markings upon the sack. Indeed there was a magical mark, not on the sack, but on its contents. The sack was filled with gold coins, and they all bore the scrawling scratching mark of a claim in a script she could not read, but recognized at once ..read more

When Baron Raven discovers a rare gem in his mines, he performs his duty by making a gift of the gem to his liege, King Monkey. Genre: Fable   Excerpt: In the mines within the five mountains that lay at the kingdom’s borders, Baron Raven discovered a most wondrous stone. Even in its raw form, it shone with a cosmic gleam that kindled the baron’s curiosity. The gears of his clever mind spun and whirred.     What’s the Writing Prompt that inspired the story?Rory’s Story Cubes. Story Cubes Voyages Roll Mountains (five) with a path leading to them and a moon/sun in the sky Blackbird ..read more