Galleries Updated

Here's a quick note to let everyone know that I just updated all the galleries with fresh thumbnails and links for easy viewing.  This go round, every gallery has something new.  Enjoy!

UPDATE: Writing Gallery

I just added a fresh set of links to the Writing Gallery, including, in the Serials section, the links so far for the ongoing Reunion at the Merrimon Library.  Check them out and let me know what you think!  I hope you enjoy!

Featured Creature: Reunion at the Merrimon Library Part III, The Ritual

Reunion at the 

Merrimon Library:
Part III, The Ritual

~ Continued from Part II ~

 
Alan sat and returned to copying his notes.  He quickly went through several pages, glancing up sporadically to watch Tim's reactions as he was reading.  Timothy sat with his legs crossed and the thick volume cradled in his lap.  He had taken off his coat and draped it across the back of the chair.  Alan took a secret pleasure in watching his friend as the sequence of realization and understanding played across his features.

At first Tim's eyes darted plainly back and forth as he read with a veiled disdain.  As he continued to read, a squinting confusion settled upon him.  His eyebrows furrowed together.  Slowly that confusion blossomed into a genuine interest and his page turning increased.  His eyes grew narrow with focus and intent.  Alan focused on his own work for awhile and copied several more pages of notes before looking up again.

UPDATE: Writing Gallery

I've added a new section and a host of links to the Writing Gallery.  The Serials section has links to the continuing sagas of the Disc of Abrasax and The Chronicles of Vz as well as links to the all of posts from this past Halloween's Night of the Cauldron.  Check them out and let me know what you think!

UPDATE: Writing Gallery

A quick note to let you know that I've just uploaded a fresh set of links to the Writing gallery.  I have also added several new sections: Short Stories, World Building, and Poetry.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

New Gallery: Writing

As part of the face lift I've been giving Zombie Bites lately, I've begun to collate all the links to the flash fiction, short stories, serials, and poetry I've been posting into a single gallery.  Currently the Writing gallery holds only a small selection of my flash fiction links, but I'll be expanding and posting to this gallery very regularly.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  Thanks for reading and viewing!

Psyche Delectus: The Spider Wizards of Ith

Dread sorcerers of the Winterlands,
Their cloaks deny

the shape of their intent.

They walk as men do,

triumvirate terrors of the snow.

They pretend fireside intimacy,

in truth seeking only succor

from the sanguine cup of a heart.

Where they pass

only wind and bones live henceforth. 

Beware the Wizards of Ith!

Featured Creature: The Mask of Mephistopheles

Excerpted from Marge Hollander's Digest of Demons and Devils:

This golden horned mask was commissioned by the nineteenth century Italian actor Arturo del Volto.  In 1831, under the patronage of an unknown nobleman, Arturo was paid to facilitate the creation of the mask at a local smithy in Umbria.  The mask was to be used as a special costume piece for the role of Mephistopheles in a production of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust at the Teatro delle Visioni.  It is wondered by many occult historians if Arturo made some deal with his own devil due to the apparent curse of tragedy and death that followed the mask after its forging.  Arturo would wear the mask only once.

Accounts of the mask's creation indicate that odd materials were added to the forge during the casting process.  Timber was brought for the forge fire that gave off an unpleasant smell when burned and bystanders remarked on the odd color of the flames once it had been added.  During the casting, the process had to be halted multiple times.  The flames within the forge were burning so hot that they threatened to consume the forge itself.

Featured Creature: The Eilium

Albert was chasing a young woman in a flowing gown.

She had been walking slowly down one of the aisles of the store where he managed the lawn and garden department.  She had smiled when she saw him and waved.  He was having an uncomfortable conversation with his boss about why the ducks from the live duck display kept escaping and wandering about the store.  His boss held a duck under one arm and was quickly turning a bright shade of magenta.

After seeing the young woman, he wandered away and his boss faded into the background like a muted watercolor.  He followed the young woman into the body of the store, past automotive, past the toy department.  She was walking along leisurely and turned a corner where Albert couldn't see.  That's when he'd begun running.

Albert almost caught the young woman several times, but she always giggled and turned another corner before he could grab hold of her arm.  Soon he felt he'd lost track of her completely, until he began finding pieces of her gown strewn about the isles.  He'd picked up the first piece gently as if he'd were touching the petal of a delicate flower.  He followed the trail collecting the torn pieces of gown as he went.

Night of the Cauldron: Part VIII, The Tree of Death

Continued from Night of the Cauldron: Part VII, The Scythe of the Reaper

Night of the Cauldron

Part VIII

The Tree of Death

The pumpkin faced reaper leveled its baleful gaze upon Traci.  It moved to her and lifted her face in it's skeletal hand, examining her with the same detachment it had viewed her uncle's body.  She tried to pull away, but it held her fast.  The creature stunk of earth.

"Tt tt,"  The reaper released her face and walked about as if it were smelling the air or listening to some silent melody.  As it turned its back to her, Traci reached over and wrapped her hand around the length of the shovel. 

"Remember this night,"  The reaper gestured to the green air, "Though surely it is not likely that you can forget it."  It chuckled and touched the tip of the scythe blade into the green column of flame.  It stood silently for a long moment, watching the flames dance around the scythe's tip, much like a child burning ants with a magnifying glass.  Small sparks flew upward, dancing into the green fog.  Through it, a firetruck's siren clearly blared.

Night of the Cauldron: Part VII, Scythe of the Reaper

Continued from Night of the Cauldron: Part VI, The Scarecrow's Lantern

Night of the Cauldron

Part VII

Scythe of the Reaper

Traci watched with horror as the mechanical grim reaper peeled itself off the fence and climbed down toward her and her father.  The reaper's fake teeth chattered as it crawled.  It cackled endlessly now, no longer waiting for Traci to come near.  It was coming to her.  As it moved, it's scythe knocked the Jack O Lantern off the edge of the railing.  The large pumpkin rolled across the deck and finally came to rest near the cauldron.

Suddenly, she was moving backward, away from the reaper and green glow of the cauldron.  Her father had opened the sliding glass door and pulled her inside the house.  The door slid closed with a soft hiss just as the reaper's skeletal fingers danced across the glass.  Traci's father quickly pushed the lock button and dropped the security bar down into the door's track.

The reaper flattened its plastic face against the glass door.  Much like a bird, it seemed unable to see the glass.  It pushed forward, perplexed by the unseen obstruction, biting at the air.  Traci noticed that its movements had become less mechanical.  It seemed almost to slither now as it sought passage.

Night of the Cauldron: Part VI, The Scarecrow's Lantern

Continued from Night of the Cauldron: Part V, Bone Chimes Spider

Night of the Cauldron

Part VI

The Scarecrow's Lantern

Henry watched the headlights of the cars blur as they passed in the firetruck.  He could already see the green glow of the Woodsboro subdivision from the highway.

"Where's this at again?"  He asked Seth, the driver.

"Near the corner of Elm and Myers."  They sped up the exit ramp.  Several cars before them moved quickly into the emergency lane.  Henry double checked his coat and helmet.

Henry wasn't sure what they were going to find at the site.  The dispatcher's relay of the emergency calls had been confusing.  Some people had called about a column of green fire and other calls reported animal attacks and dangerous Halloween pranks.  Animal control had already been alerted and paramedics were on their way as well.  His truck and the one following would arrive first.

Night of the Cauldron: Part V, The Bone Chimes

Continued from Night of the Cauldron: Part IV, The Pumpkin Bogey

Night of the Cauldron

Part V

The Bones Chimes

Theo walked along behind his brother and sister.  Martin and Stacey rushed up the sidewalk to the next house for another batch of candy.  They giggled as they ran.  Stacey was dressed as a bright sunflower and Martin was the Red Power Ranger.  They disappeared behind a large framework of orange lights in the shape of a Jack O Lantern.  He heard them yell "Trick or Treat!" followed by laughter.

Theo sighed.  He wore no costume of his own, embracing the designation of adult for the evening.  He had planned to dress as Batman, but he had also planned a different Halloween night altogether.  Just before sunset, his mother had thrown him the wrench.

"You've got to take Martin and Stacey Trick or treating Theo.  I'm sorry, I know it sucks, but they called me into work."

Night of the Cauldron: Part IV, The Pumpkin Bogey

Continued from Night of the Cauldron: Part III, Ghosts of the Tree

Night of the Cauldron

Part IV

The Pumpkin Bogey

Alicia paced back and forth through her room as she put on her costume.  Eric had been hiding beneath his sister's bed for at least fifteen minutes waiting for the right moment.  He'd snuck in when she'd gone to the bathroom and slid quietly underneath.  He had to stifle his giggles several times while he waited, holding his hand tightly over his mouth.  He'd put on part of his own costume for the scare, a pair of fur covered latex werewolf claws.  He'd be rinsing the taste out of his mouth all night, but it was worth it.  Finally, Alicia stopped pacing and stood in front of her chest of drawers.

Eric jutted his arm out from under the bed and grabbed Alicia's ankle.  He growled like an angry dog as he did so.  Alicia screamed and leapt onto the bed.  Eric laughed and pushed himself out the opposite side.  He flew out the door before Alicia could catch him.  He was in the kitchen is seconds, Alicia just steps behind him.

Night of the Cauldron: Part III, Ghosts of the Tree

Continued from Night of the Cauldron: Part II, The Turnip Lanterns

Night of the Cauldron

Part III

Ghosts of the Tree

Jimmy ran down the sidewalk to the next house.  His bag of candy sloshed at his side, knocking against his furry chaps.  As he ran, his cowboy hat flew off his head.

"James Wallace!"  His mother called, using the tone that meant he'd better stop whatever it was he was doing and wait for her instruction.  He ran back to pick up his cowboy hat.  He scooped it up and tried to get it evenly back on his head.  Soon his mother was beside him.  She leveled the hat and pushed it down firmly in place.

"Much obliged ma'am" he said in his best cowboy voice and grinned up at her.  His mother smiled and directed him back towards the next house.  He walked slowly in front of her with his legs bowed and his hands firmly on the toy guns at his sides.  They both laughed.  "Gotta go rustle up some candy!"

Night of the Cauldron: Part II, The Turnip Lanterns

Continued from Night of the Cauldron: Part I, The Cauldron

Night of the Cauldron

Part II

The Turnip Lanterns

Margaret pulled her skirt free as she slammed the car door closed. Chuck moved around to join her.

"I didn't get anything on my skirt, did I?"

"Nothing there." He said without really looking.  Margaret adjusted her bustier and secured her princess crown.  Chuck, her Prince Charming, lit a cigarette and took a long draw.

"Gimme some," she said.  He passed the cigarette to her and lit himself another, almost blowing his exhale in her face.  "Really?"  He turned away and examined the night sky.  They smoked in silence but for the occasional labored exhale.

"Why are we even here?"  He didn't look at her.

"We don't have to stay long.  Let's just get through this okay."  She pleaded.

Night of the Cauldron: Part I, The Cauldron

Night of the Cauldron
Part I

The Cauldron

Traci brought the freshly carved Jack o' lantern out of the house.  She set it upon the railing at the edge of the deck.  She moved the bowl of candy to the small table beside the steps.  Turning the Jack o' Lantern so that it fully faced the driveway, she paused to admire her handwork. She adjusted her witches hat and her black skirt, being careful not to knock off her fake fingernails.  She was ready for the trick-or-treaters.

Her father was preparing a fire bowl further back on the deck.  Suddenly there was cackling laughter behind her.  She started and sighed, glaring at the source.  Hanging from the fence at the deck's edge was a creepy mechanical grim reaper that cackled, lit up, and shook whenever there was movement nearby.  She hated it, but her father enjoyed how it scared the other kids when they came up the side stairs to get their treats.  She swiped at its tattered robe and stuck her tongue out at it.  The reaper shook its scythe in mock menace.