Available July 26th, 2014!
Our relationship with fire is an intimate one.
From the intrigue of the warmth to the draw of the light,
it spans history—yet who tamed the beast was never recorded.
From the Norse funeral to the Pagan celebrations,
fire has burned its way through our lives,
a passing mark on some, an indelible scar on others.
Within this tome lay 18 authors from across the globe,
each with their own burning tale to tell…
…… Doubt thou the stars are fire?
Table of Contents
The Foreigner -Tim Jeffreys
Home Fires – Ed Ahern
Ride to Hell – Rebecca Besser
City of Fire – James Dorr
Kleevar: The Prophets of Profanity – Dan Weatherer
The Light of the Divine – Tom Olbert
Stir the Ashes – Joshua Calkins-Terworgy
Things Seem Different by Firelight – James McAllister
Flaming River – Timothy Kroecker
He Ain’t Heavy – J.M. Lawrence
Without Sin – Mark Taylor
The Burning Times – Brandon Ketchum
Premonition of a Fire Man – Alexis Allinson
The Flame in the Ice – D.J. Tyrer
Internal Combustion – B. David Spicer
Heat Stress – Claire Ibarra
The Little Matchbox Girl – Lara Ek
Captain’s Last Job – D. Jonathan Matthews
An excerpt from my story, “Ride to Hell”:
““What’s up next, tour-guide-of-horror?” he asked.
She laughed and tapped her lips thoughtfully with her finger. “Hmm…how about Serpent Slither?”
“Okay,” he said, amiably agreeing.
They mounted the short flight of stairs, leading up to the platform to the ride. The carnival wasn’t very busy so they only had to wait for one other couple to be strapped in before them.
When it was their turn, they stepped forward and took their seats beside each other. Instead of facing forward, they faced off to the left side of the ride – Steve was beside the woman from the previous couple and Renea was positioned by a member of the following couple.
The ride started after everyone who was in line was aboard. Once the ride operator stepped back and flipped a lever, the “serpent” took off with a jolt, speeding up and jerking back and forth like a roller coaster on its side, suspended in the air; Steve thought numerous times they would be thrown through the air. This fear was further encouraged by the squeaking and grinding of the seats and the frame of the ride.
Finally the ride was over and they climbed off.
“That was fun,” Renea exclaimed. “Do you want to go on Soul Stealer or Be Damned next?”
“Why not Bowels of Hell?” Steve asked, gratefully becoming acquainted with solid, none jerking ground again; he wasn’t quite sure he was ready for another ride just yet.
“We’ll save that one for last,” she said, “its my favorite.”
As they stood talking, Steve looked around and noticed the ride operator leering an evil grin at him. Something about the look in the eerily skinny man’s eyes gave Steve the chills; he shrugged the feeling off and focused on Renea.
That’s where I’ll propose, he thought, figuring he could make a dramatic display before they traversed the “Bowels of Hell” together.
“Let’s try out Soul Stealer,” he said, hoping it wouldn’t be as dramatic as Serpent Slither, but knowing it probably was. He was determined not to show how unnerved he was, or how bad his stomach was churning at the thought of going on another ride.
“Okay,” she said, and grinned wickedly. “I have to warn you – it’s intense!”
He laughed, while inwardly groaning. “I can handle it with you by my side.”
As they approached the ride, Steve began to wonder if he could handle it, even with her. Naked seats with simple straps waited for their bodies. Renea climbed right in, smiling at a small woman with black teeth and drool running down her chin, who was helping her buckle in.
“Come on, scaredy-cat!” Renea called out, and slapped her hand on the cracked leather seat beside her.
Reluctantly he climbed aboard; the same woman helped strap him in as well – she chuckled under her breath as she stepped away from him. His unease grew.
The woman flipped the switch and the seats started to climb up a mechanical tower behind them, until they were well over twenty feet high. The seats stopped and Steve looked down to see shiny silver spikes had risen below them, from the platform.
“What the hell?” he mumbled, wiggling and trying to get a better look. The straps were too tight to allow him a good assessment of the danger below them and that increased his unease – he felt trapped.”
©Rebecca Besser & Nocturnal Press Publications, 2014. All rights reserved.
Life With Words 