Welcome to this week’s story, 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.

ANOTHER NIGHTMARE

Gasping, I wake up from yet another bad dream. My heart pounds like a hammer beneath my chest.

They shift beside me. “Another nightmare, My Love?” They ask, running a soothing hand through my hair.

I nod at them slowly and whisper back in the dark, “It’s okay now, Love. I’m fine. You should go back to sleep.”

They smile softly. “Are you sure?”

I nod again and watch them drifting off back to sleep.

Eyes still fixed on them, watching their chest heaving, my fingers grope for the gun in my drawer.

Who was this stranger on my bed?

 

Amian Bent is a writer in her mid-20s and currently pursuing a Master’s in English. As a passionate enjoyer of works of fiction, she has dipped her toes into many forms of writing, which includes poetry, short fiction, and long forms of fiction as well. Currently she is working on her novel which she hopes to publish in the near future. When not writing, she enjoys kicking back with a book or some music.

 

 

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

AVAILABLE HERE!

 

When I started Hawthorn & Ash back in 2019, it began as something simple — a love of flash fiction and a desire to give writers a home for their shorter stories.

Seven years later we have seven volumes, a regular blog presence and a community of readers and writers I’m genuinely proud of.

But I want to be honest with you — keeping Hawthorn & Ash going while paying our writers fairly has become increasingly difficult as a small independent press running on passion alone.

So I’ve made the decision to move Hawthorn & Ash to a reader-supported subscription model. For just $5 USD per month or $50 USD per year you’ll have access to our full library of fantasy, speculative fiction and horror flash fiction — over 170 stories and everything new going forward.

If Hawthorn & Ash has ever given you a story that stayed with you, I’d love your support to keep it going.

Thank you for being here since the beginning.

Stacey Jaine McIntosh

Iron Faerie Publishing

 

Welcome to this week’s story, 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 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHADOWS AND SILHOUETTES

I’ve often wondered, how do you differentiate between a shadow and a silhouette? Most people answer to my question the same way, ‘Oh, they’re just synonyms for the same thing.’

But see, that’s where they’re wrong.

Shadows and silhouettes are not just synonyms.

They’re way more than that.

And how do you tell the difference between them?

It’s easy enough.

If you happen to catch them in an empty street, on a moonlit night, shadows don’t grin toothily back at you. Silhouettes do. But whatever you do, do not look away. Because when you do, they follow after you.

 

Amian Bent is a writer in her mid-20s and currently pursuing a Master’s in English. As a passionate enjoyer of works of fiction, she has dipped her toes into many forms of writing, which includes poetry, short fiction, and long forms of fiction as well. Currently she is working on her novel which she hopes to publish in the near future. When not writing, she enjoys kicking back with a book or some music.

 

 

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

AVAILABLE HERE!