Welcome to this week’s installment of many micro stories, ranging in length from 100 words to 500 words.

With each story we hope to deliver a little whimsy into the lives of our readers.

RETRIBUTION

Dragon fire rained down on Camelot. Arthur had lost. But his debt had not yet been paid in full. The price for his sister’s life was far greater than a single castle. Even if that castle was Camelot. Retribution was such that Arthur must pay with his life as the drakaina had done.

The Pendragon stood on shaky legs as Stryder held him in his claws and took off in the direction of the Crystal Cave.

Arthur’s screams were like music to the dragon’s ears. The fire empowered him. But Arthur wouldn’t die here. No, his fate was far worse.

Stacey Jaine McIntosh is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author who hails from Perth, Western Australia where she resides with her husband and their four children.While her heart has always belonged to writing, she once toyed with being a Cartographer and subsequently holds a Diploma in Spatial Information Services. Since 2011 she has had over one hundred short stories and over fifty poems published.Stacey is also the author of Solstice, The Camelot Series as well as The Eldritch Series, Lost & Absinthe and she is currently working on several other projects simultaneously.When not with her family or writing she enjoys reading, photography, genealogy, history, Arthurian myths and witchcraft.www.staceyjainemcintosh.com

If you enjoyed this story you can find it and more in the Hawthorn & Ash anthology.

AVAILABLE HERE!

Welcome to this week’s installment of many micro stories, ranging in length from 100 words to 500 words.

With each story we hope to deliver a little whimsy into the lives of our readers.

THE LONGEST NIGHT

The doe emerged from the pine shadows as the sun bled its final light across the frozen meadow. Her breath crystallised in silver plumes, each exhale a prayer to the dying day. This was the solstice — the earth’s deepest sleep, when darkness claimed dominion over the world.

She had witnessed a lifetime of these longest nights, each one carving deeper wisdom into her amber eyes. The forest held its breath around her, snow-heavy branches bending like cathedral arches. In the distance, her daughters waited, their spotted coats now winter-brown, learning the ancient patience their kind had perfected.

The doe lifted her muzzle to taste the star-sharp air. Tomorrow, she knew, the light would return — tentative at first, then bold. But tonight belonged to the velvet darkness, to the whispered secrets of snow, to the sacred turning of the world’s great wheel. She stepped forward into the vast, waiting night.

Laura Shenton is probably best known for her music non-fiction, particularly Dance With The Devil – The Cozy Powell Story (Wymer Publishing) and Tommy Bolin – In and Out of Deep Purple (Sonicbond Publishing).

Her fiction books are character-driven with a short, punchy narrative that gets straight to the point – typically novellas and novelettes. Genres include gothic, fantasy, and adventure (mostly, with the occasional diversion).

Laura’s children’s books are simple, accessible, and fun – an excellent choice for youngsters with fertile imaginations who are just beginning their reading journey.

If you enjoyed this story you can find it and more in the Hawthorn & Ash anthology.

AVAILABLE HERE!