Dark Fantasy Short Stories

As her power grows, a grandmother must choose between her safety and her family.In the arid landscapes of the Arizona Hopi Reservation, Nokomis Nicholas, a woman with a unique connection to the land, grapples with a difficult decision. Her granddaughter, Tansy, is in the care of her spiteful daughter-in-law, Yamka. As Komie's power over the land grows, she must decide whether to stay and protect Tansy or leave and search for a place where she truly belongs. When a wise confidante offers her guidance, Komie is torn between the memories of her ancestral lands in Maine and her current ...

He can’t trust her, but he will claim her. Elise roams free in the anti-shifter research lab. For weeks, she walked by Ransom’s cage, ignoring him. Then she frees him, But she’s reluctant to escape. Ransom won’t leave her behind, She’s shifter, and shifters don’t abandon shifters. There’s more to this brave female than Ransom first realized. Ransom wants to find his pack. Elise wants to return to the anti-shifter research lab. Something has to give. It won’t be Ransom... ◆◆◆ Fight Hard. Love Harder. Ransom’s Revenge is a steamy, stand-alone romance in the Broken ...

I've tracked down ten authors who have, at some point, participated in the act of cannibalism. I've collected one short story from each writer and combined them here for your amusement and observation. Isaac Cone presents “Margaritaville”, Jimmy Buffet’s hit song reinterpreted as a southern gothic. Sandeyu Yamamoto writes “Antiquing” about a family with a rare type of OCD where they haunt the object they most obsessed over.

When a strange scale is discovered in a nearby lake she regularly swims in, Esther Montgomery panics. How could she be so foolish? After her shoal died from the red tide, she’s been on her own struggling to fit in on land. Shortly after the TV announcement, she receives a strange note from someone claiming to know what she is. Against her better judgment, she goes to the meeting place. That’s when events take a turn for the worse. TW: Dark fantasy with torture and death.

At 10-feet, four inches tall, Gowanus was the runt of the litter. Working the mines of No’ad took strength and height, unless you had the smarts to be able to help the dwarves invent and build new mining tools. He didn’t have smarts and didn’t have height, and yet his curiosity got the better of him: Where had Sakima gone? In an attempt to find the rogue giant Sakima, Gowanus learns the secret to how the giants have spread so far, so fast and comes face-to-face with the worst betrayal of giant-kind.

Explore love, ambition, and hidden talentsBintou Sissoko faces a pivotal moment in her life as she grapples with love, betrayal, and the allure of the supernatural. A talented linguist working at Timbuctou's prestigious Sankore Institute, Bintou's passion for ancient manuscripts is matched only by her desire for a second chance at love. When her ex-boyfriend Ibrahim, now living in Ireland, extends an invitation to visit, Bintou finds herself torn between her longing for a fresh start and the uncertainties of uprooting her life. As she contemplates her future, Bintou is thrust into a ...

Ken Goldman, author of more than 650 published stories, brings you a chapbook containing two dark novellas and three of his best twisted tales.

Ten Fantasy Stories by Ten Authors. Of all paranormal creatures, demons are the most dangerous. Intelligent and deceitful, they are masters of disguise and crafty manipulation. They stir evil desires, exploit moral weaknesses, disguise the boundaries between right and wrong, plant convictions in the victim's mind, and persuade humans that they want the thing the demon aims to bring about. Every culture in the world has demons, but their shape, nature and purpose varies so much that it would be impossible to give a single definition. In this anthology, ten authors share their vision of ...

A woman finds a head in her mother's garden. Things get weirder when the head talks to her....

Experience three exciting stories of fantasy and science fiction, each immensely different from the last.

Welcome to six of the most amazing fantasy stories you'll ever hear. This volume includes five full-length fantasy stories plus an exclusive bonus short story.

From astronauts in deep space to the ghosts of the Civil War, New York Times best-selling author Alethea Kontis creates worlds of wonder and delight, of weirdness and despair, of whimsy and darkness. Here are 20 stories and poems that will transport you to the magical dangerous worlds you've always known should exist, but have never quite been able to find.

Welcome to Necrolopolis, a fantasy world with a postal system as inefficient as our own, an undead pharaoh with an ego as big as his pyramid, a ghoul with an unhealthy interest in soup pots, not to mention a faction war between mummies and ashlings. A necromancer's job is never done, especially in a city of four million undead souls!

Her voice is her brand. It’s also kind of a public safety concern. Marinella’s streaming channel serves up immersive sound, chill vibes, and just enough siren magic to keep her audience blissed out—without triggering another spontaneous group swim. But with sponsorships vanishing and rent climbing, she’s running out of ways to keep things ethical, engaging, and technically legal. Enter WaveSound: a glossy audio-tech giant with prototype headphones, aggressive KPIs, and one marketing director who’s a little too enthusiastic about her “authentic resonance.” They want her ...

In a world much like our own, Tom lives a mundane, directionless life, with the only respite being his weekends. A serendipitous encounter with a charismatic stranger named Lila leads to a reckless decision at a tattoo parlor, where Tom unknowingly chooses a tattoo with mystical powers. What follows is an enthralling journey of self-discovery and transformation.

A collection of three stories by John Kaniecki: "Heretic", "Johnny Can't Run", and "The Psychology of Lady Jane Perkins". Religion and truth battle for control in a future society underground on Earth. In the not-so-far-off future a group of Nazis have been exiled to a distant planet. An engineering student is swept away in love by one Lady Jane Perkins, but what does the young man see in this homeless psychiatric patient?

The first collection in the ongoing series of fantasy stories from the world of Esowon. You'll find dastardly beasts, tortured monks, and unexpected lovers in a set of tales that'll transport you to lands lost to time. Delve into these companion novellas to The Kishi, an African fantasy based on Angola folklore.

A horror story with a thrilling and suspenseful plot that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. The concept of a haunted theme park that comes to life at night and demonic characters that devour guests is sure to be an intriguing and chilling listen. The idea of a family trying to find a way to escape the night adds an element of humanity and relatability to the story.

Each night, the world is overrun by bloodthirsty demons. For centuries, humanity survived only by hiding behind defensive wards – magical symbols of power. Now, though, the rediscovery of other, long-forgotten wards has given them the magic they need to fight back.... In Tibbet’s Brook, the fighting wards have brought change, heightening tensions and grudges of a troubled past. Selia Square, the woman they call Barren, has long been the force holding the Brook together. As a terrifying new threat emerges, she must rally the people of the Brook once more.

Blackwater is a collection of two tales of horror and dark fantasy. In "Mercury Rain", a soldier fighting a new enemy learns the importance of holding on to his memories. "Blackwater", the title story of the collection, is an homage to Stephen King's short story, "Graveyard Shift", and it tells the tale of Paul Hawkins, a mine worker who disturbs something terrifying in the Blackwater Hills of Durham, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1976.