Tag Archives: muse

The Dead Man’s Palace VIII Witches do not live forever but our lifespan is ten times greater than ordinary mortals. I was young, very young when the dead man’s reign came to an end. But I’d met him and promised to revive and guide him, one day. My dear daughter, you have grown up governedContinue reading “22:21”

The Dead Man’s Palace VII Cecilia felt a tugging. It wasn’t physical, but an urgent grasp pulled at her being, poking and irritating enough that she surfaced from sleep. A woman stood beside her bed, face stern and disapproving. She looked deceptively young, early twenties, but her grey eyes spoke of older experience. Her hairContinue reading “22:20”

The Dead Man’s Palace VI Havana’s quiet but terrifying routine was over. As soon as she woke that final morning, greeted by the once-corpse man, the bright but silent palace was filled with life. The front door echoed open and voices rose to their location on the second floor. The man seemed unconcerned at theContinue reading “22:19”

The Dead Man’s Palace V Cecilia’s sleep hadn’t been natural, once she’d succumbed to its embrace it tightened around her, crushing any lingering resistance and suffocating her in subconscious torment. Her mind hungered for something she didn’t understand, feeling the blood in her veins pulse with need. She tried to move, but only felt aContinue reading “22:18”

The Dead Man’s Palace IV Three months of her new life left Havana grateful but apprehensive everyday. Her new master was unpredictable and unnerving, one minute laughing and touching Havana, fascinated by her skin. Other times she was cold, harsh, snapping orders and watching critically as Havana went about her tasks. Once she commanded herContinue reading “22:17”

The Dead Man’s Palace III Three months of happy delirium followed as the girl remembered what having company felt like. The voice she’d barely used for a year was forced out to express her delight. The slave girl couldn’t sit still without twitching, her hands moving to grasp at tasks like a comfort blanket. TheContinue reading “22:16”

The Dead Man’s Palace II Slave Girl didn’t have a name, no one had ever thought to give her one, even herself. She’d rarely seen her reflection, distorted in puddles, glass shards, uneven shiny surfaces. Others said she was ugly, with a nose too squashed to suit her face, hair too dirty and unkempt toContinue reading “22:15”

This is based off an Italian folk tale called The Dead Man’s Palace. It’s another long one with ten parts. This is the first draft, I’m in the process of writing a more polished version right now. The Dead Man’s Palace I The dead man didn’t start to decay like a normal corpse should, butContinue reading “22:14”

This is based off of The Armless Maiden, which is one of my favourite fairy tales. I do wan to come back to this and polish it at some point (and think of a better title). Fish I wasn’t created with a real reason. In fact, I was born an ordinary lake fish, with aContinue reading “22:12”

This one is still very rough but is an idea I’ve tried to make work for a while. I already want to change quite a bit of it for the next draft. Position Available It was always a demanding job, but it used to be rewarding. They were grateful for your help, leaving positive, glowingContinue reading “22:8”