Will o' the Wisp - Preview, Part I
Preview the opening scene from my brand new short story, Will o' the Wisp, creeping out of the shadows this Hallowe'en:
___
Never have I stopped searching, and never shall I give up the quest for as long as I breathe.
I have tried all manner of methods to reacquaint myself with my lost and distant love, searching amongst both the living and the dead. Yet always have I been too far behind. Perhaps tonight, as I sat beside a stuttering jack o’lantern and gazed out upon the blackest of nights, I would finally lay eyes upon her face again and find the answers which I sought.
Oh, but what a thing of beauty was her face. Her smooth, white skin and her rosebud mouth. Those bright, green eyes that sang in the sunshine. Her raven black hair, that descended down to her waist. The elegance of her form. I fell madly, deeply, as soon as I laid eyes upon her, of that I am sure, for she claimed my thoughts in every waking moment. Who could this maiden be, if not my intended bride? I shall admit that a kind of insanity may have befallen me, for so quickly was I overcome, my one desire to claim this beauty as my own.
When I sought the services of Madame Marsden, I had no reason to believe this encounter would prove more fruitful than the last, or the countless others before them. I had fallen into a melancholy, believing I would never find the answers I sought, but nonetheless could not give up my search. In my depressed and desperate state, I clung to the false hope that just one more time, one final attempt, would be the moment of revelation.
So it went on. I’d enlisted mediums, clairvoyants, fortunetellers, as well as the more conventional private detectives and the constabularies of the various locales which I explored in vain. No one, by either investigative or preternatural means, had uncovered one clue as to the whereabouts of she who possessed my soul.
But tonight would prove different; I could feel it deep in my bones. The flame flickered again, waxing and waning in the draft from the cracks in the windowpane, causing the jack o’lantern to wink at me, his wicked grin stretching with menace.
I have digressed, my tale already resembling the knotted tangents of my mind. I hoped simply to get the facts down on paper whilst awaiting her arrival. Thus, it would be prudent to commence at the beginning.
___
It may be safer for some questions to remain unanswered...
Whilst running an errand late one Hallowe'en night, a young gentleman comes across a young lady in need of assistance. From whom or what she flees is unclear, but nevertheless he desires to help.
When she vanishes without trace, he determines to find the reason for her disappearance, a quest which may lead him into unknown peril.
For, amongst the shadows, there lurks something sinister...
___
A gothic horror short story from the author of "The Jack O'Lantern Men" and "Whispers from the Dead of Night". Look out for part II of the preview next weekend.
Available to download 31/10/2021. Pre-order on Amazon now!
Just two weeks 'til Hallowe'en!
🎃 TRICK OR TREAT?! 😉
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
___
Never have I stopped searching, and never shall I give up the quest for as long as I breathe.
I have tried all manner of methods to reacquaint myself with my lost and distant love, searching amongst both the living and the dead. Yet always have I been too far behind. Perhaps tonight, as I sat beside a stuttering jack o’lantern and gazed out upon the blackest of nights, I would finally lay eyes upon her face again and find the answers which I sought.
Oh, but what a thing of beauty was her face. Her smooth, white skin and her rosebud mouth. Those bright, green eyes that sang in the sunshine. Her raven black hair, that descended down to her waist. The elegance of her form. I fell madly, deeply, as soon as I laid eyes upon her, of that I am sure, for she claimed my thoughts in every waking moment. Who could this maiden be, if not my intended bride? I shall admit that a kind of insanity may have befallen me, for so quickly was I overcome, my one desire to claim this beauty as my own.
When I sought the services of Madame Marsden, I had no reason to believe this encounter would prove more fruitful than the last, or the countless others before them. I had fallen into a melancholy, believing I would never find the answers I sought, but nonetheless could not give up my search. In my depressed and desperate state, I clung to the false hope that just one more time, one final attempt, would be the moment of revelation.
So it went on. I’d enlisted mediums, clairvoyants, fortunetellers, as well as the more conventional private detectives and the constabularies of the various locales which I explored in vain. No one, by either investigative or preternatural means, had uncovered one clue as to the whereabouts of she who possessed my soul.
But tonight would prove different; I could feel it deep in my bones. The flame flickered again, waxing and waning in the draft from the cracks in the windowpane, causing the jack o’lantern to wink at me, his wicked grin stretching with menace.
I have digressed, my tale already resembling the knotted tangents of my mind. I hoped simply to get the facts down on paper whilst awaiting her arrival. Thus, it would be prudent to commence at the beginning.
___
It may be safer for some questions to remain unanswered...
Whilst running an errand late one Hallowe'en night, a young gentleman comes across a young lady in need of assistance. From whom or what she flees is unclear, but nevertheless he desires to help.
When she vanishes without trace, he determines to find the reason for her disappearance, a quest which may lead him into unknown peril.
For, amongst the shadows, there lurks something sinister...
___
A gothic horror short story from the author of "The Jack O'Lantern Men" and "Whispers from the Dead of Night". Look out for part II of the preview next weekend.
Available to download 31/10/2021. Pre-order on Amazon now!
Just two weeks 'til Hallowe'en!
🎃 TRICK OR TREAT?! 😉
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
No comments have been added yet.
