Sign Up For The October Frights Blog Hop 2018!

It's that time of year again!

Time to sign up for the October Frights Blog Hop!

Here's a quick overview of this great Halloween/horror/paranormal event.

• It is run by the October Frights group on Facebook
• It happens from from October 10th-15th
• The hop theme is any and all things creepy or spooky or Halloween
• All participants must be a member of the October Frights group as we run all info, graphics and links through that group
• Either blogs or websites are acceptable; as long as you can post easily visible content you can join the hop
• Participants can post daily, semi-daily, or run one post for the entire hop, your choice
• Posts can be stories, poems, excerpts, book spotlights, photo montages, general ramblings about spooky stuff, etc.
• All signups will be through Inlinkz and the embed code or link MUST be added to your blog hop posts (code is available through the October Frights group)
• Cross promotion is encouraged, so if you’d like to have other participants guest on your blog or website feel free to post an offer in the group
• Promotion of the blog hop is mandatory, how you promote is up to you. For Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook we use the hashtag #OctoberFrights
• If you sign up, posting on October 10th is MANDATORY. If you cannot, (due to whatever) please inform the organizer (me, Anita Stewart) or post in the group so you can be removed from the hop roster, or otherwise accommodated.  Sites with no October Frights content (and I mean content, not just a graphic) by October 11th will be culled from the hop

If you are interested, sign up below (click the "add your link" button) at InLinkz.
Then join the October Frights group!

The Number 13: Day 4 of #OctoberFrights

Welcome to Day 4 of the October Frights Blog Hop!

Today is the 13^th of October. It is also #FolkloreThursday over on Twitter, so it seemed a perfect time for a post on the myth and folklore of the number thirteen.

We all know the superstition, the ominous unlucky number thirteen, scourge of digits and integers, and striking trepidation in many. And of course, should the dreaded date of the 13^th fall (gasp!) on a Friday, well...

This belief in the unlucky quality of thirteen is quite pervasive from the aforementioned Friday the 13^th to high rise buildings actually lacking a thirteenth floor. So what are the origins of this belief? How did thirteen come to symbolize bad luck? What heinous crime did it perpetrate to be labelled Bad Luck King of the number world?

Nobody’s quite certain.

One of the most popular theories as to its ill-fated origins is the Christian one regarding Judas Iscariot being the 13^th member to arrive at the Last Supper. While this idea may have spread the fateful notion of a bad luck thirteen, it was probably not its origin. However, the superstition of 13 being an unlucky number at a dinner party has some validity, and goes back to Norse mythology. In some versions of the story of the Death of Baldr, the trickster god Loki is the thirteenth (and uninvited) guest at a celebration feast. It is at this celebration Loki tricks the god Höðr into killing Baldr with mistletoe. So one could see how thirteen guests might now seem unlucky at a dinner party, and perhaps spill over into other areas.

But this idea of “bad luck thirteen” doesn’t translate well past Western culture. 

Ancient Egyptians and Aztecs considered the number fortuitous, and in some Asian culture, the number four is the unlucky one. Perhaps it is simply a matter of poor thirteen being in the wrong place and the wrong time, and labelled bad for eternity.

Some Tidbits:

• In folklore tradition, thirteen turns make a traditional hangman's noose (In actual practice not so much)
• Some airplanes have no 13th row and some airports skip the 13th gate
• Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
• Friday the 13th can only occur in months starting with Sunday
• The actual fear of the number thirteen is called triskaidekaphobia
• Triskaidekaphilia is the love of the number 13
• Thirteen at Dinner is a US title of an Agatha Christie mystery novel

Further reading:

http://www.bannergraphic.com/story/1501712.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0212_040212_friday13.html

http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/whats-so-unlucky-about-the-number-13

http://www.pitlanemagazine.com/cultures/mythology-and-folklore-of-friday-the-thirteenth.html

http://paranormalstories.blogspot.ca/2012/01/13-facts-about-number-13.html

http://mysticalnumbers.com/number-13/

http://mentalfloss.com/article/23266/13-reasons-people-think-number-13-unlucky

And now for the Giveaways!

You can check out my Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway! (live until October 31st) by clicking on the Giveaway Tab at the top of the blog or this link: Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway!

And here's my October Frights Book Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now you can continue on your journey, and check out the rest of the Blog Hop and the delights these wonderful people have in store.

An InLinkz Link-up

#OctoberFrights Begins! Blog Hop Day 1

Greetings my minions, and welcome to another October Frights Blog Hop!

And a Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!

Salutations All and Beware the Monsters!

2016 OCTOBER FRIGHTS BLOG HOP

A Frightful Blog Hop Celebrating

All Things That Go Bump in the Night

This event of spooky chills will run from October 10^th until the 15^th, where a rabid horde (don’t worry we don’t bite) of paranormal and horror writers are serving up dark delights to scare and thrill you.

Here’s what coming this week on Are You Afraid of the Dark?

• October 10^th: The introduction to the blog hop and the flash fiction story How To Prepare A Feast For Unusual Guests
• October 11^th: A book spotlight for my new release, the poetry book Horror Haiku and Other Poems
• October 12^th: An October Frights version of Drabble Wednesday
• October 13^th: A folklore post on the number 13
• October 14^th: A flash fiction story, The Horseman
• October 15^th: A peek at the Brain to Books Cyber Convention and Book Expo, with a focus on their horror event spectacular Blood Spring. Also, there will be a bit of short fiction called Salt Wind and Bones to see off the end of the hop.

Plus, I have not one but two Rafflecopter giveaways for copies of my new book and a poster of the book cover. Check them out at the bottom of the post, after the story.

So now on with the story...

How To Prepare A Feast For Unusual Guests

“No, no, no! I want iced monkey brains for dessert! Not monkey brain soufflé!” These chefs were idiots. “If I serve monkey brain soufflé I’ll be eaten alive.” Literally. “If you can’t get it right I’ll change the menu to iced chef’s brains!”

I took satisfaction in watching the colour drain from his face and shocked fear pervade his eyes. He scurried back to the kitchen, hopefully to prepare the correct dish.

I turned my attention back to the décor. The black candles awaited lighting, placed strategically along the table in gold candlesticks. Pure gold, no iron or silver allowed at this dinner party. Which made acquiring cutlery difficult, but luckily I found some gold sets in storage. Storage also produced an exquisite black and gold set of china dishware. It looked sumptuous against the crimson table cloth with matching placemats and napkins.

Thankfully, my predecessor was a pack rat.

I walked the long table, eyeing the centerpieces, checking their proper positioning. The florist did a magnificent job of arranging the dead roses and dried leaves. They looked as if they had been moldering on a grave for weeks, and smelled as bad.

The guests will adore them. At least I hope they will. They are so mercurial.

Next I checked the curtains, making certain the heavy red velvet drapes were drawn tight, and then turned each sconce down to the lowest light setting. I stepped back and surveyed that the room for the ideal ambience.

Perfect. Dim, but not too dark, with enough shadows to set the mood. Now for the last menu check.

I scanned my copy.

Appetizers

Sautéed Eyeballs on Sliced Mozzarella

Rice Cakes in Garlic Bile Salsa

Salad

Radicchio and Arugula with Goat Cheese, Toasted Fingernails and Almonds

Topped with Berry Balsamic Dressing

Entrée

Seared Lung with Roasted Garlic

Braised Heart with Wild Mushrooms

Roasted Potatoes

Green Beans Almandine

Dessert

Iced Monkey Brains with Blood Sauce

Everything looked suitable.

And the meat would be fresh killed. They always appreciated that touch. Last night’s delivery of those unfortunate ladies topped off our larder. Thank heaven for seedy bars. People are so much easier to kidnap when they’re drunk. Not to mention alcohol creates a nice marinade to tenderize the meat.

As I mused, satisfied everything was perfect, the hotel’s internal bell chimed.

Ah, the first of the guests have awakened. Wonderful. You can always count on the monsters to be prompt…

~*~

And now for the Giveaways!

You can check out my Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway! (live until October 31st) by clicking on the Giveaway Tab at the top of the blog or this link: Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway!

And here's my October Frights Book Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now you can continue on your journey, and check out the rest of the Blog Hop and the delights these wonderful people have in store.

An InLinkz Link-up

Drabble Wednesday: Changing Seasons

In honour of the first Drabble Wednesday for October, come join the telling of a few tales of the seasons...

Winter Chill

The first nip of true cold in the air, a shiver that slowly burrows under the skin and buries itself. That’s when you know. Winter will arrive soon. If you haven’t prepared by then, it’s too late. By that beginning taste of winter, your stores should have been gathered and stocked.

And your final arrangements reviewed and amended if necessary.

Because you never know who’ll die.

Maybe no one, if the winter’s mild. The food will last, and the snow won’t smother. That’s what you hope for. That’s why you pray to the gods.

But sometimes, they want a sacrifice.

~*~

Spring Thaw

The birds are chirping outside the kitchen window these mornings, a sure sign spring is coming. And I saw a crocus poking out its green shoots by the doorstep, so I expect the last of the snow will be melting soon, though it’ll be a while farther up the mountainside.

Does my heart glad to see the change in season. It’s been a hard winter with my husband gone, even if I’m happy he ain’t around no more.

I just hope I buried the body deep enough. Wouldn’t do to have it popping out of the ground in the thaw.

~*~

Summer’s End

A sultry wind blows through the cherry trees, rustling the green leaves, and the ripened fruit. Soon it will be time for last harvest, and the leaves will turn to vibrant warm colour. But, for now, the final bit of summer lingers.

These are beautiful moments, this suspended measure between seasons, between the thriving and the waning of nature. You can feel them mesh and merge, separate and struggle, the everlasting war twixt life and death.

Like me.

No wonder I feel a natural kinship.

I died in this cherry grove. Now, as a wandering ghost, I live here eternally.

~*~

© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved

That’s it for this week, but be sure to pop back next week for a special October Frights horror version of Drabble Wednesday, as part of the week long October Frights Blog Hop.

October Frights Blog Hop Preview

Come join me and a host of other horror and paranormal authors in... 

The October Frights Blog Hop!

This wonderfully ghoulish event happens from October 10-15th and is open to paranormal and horror authors. Participants will be posting stories, excerpts, promoting current, upcoming and new releases, and offering prizes and giveaways!  You can check out all the participants here:

2016 October Frights Blog Hop

Here's a quick preview of what you can expect on Are You Afraid of the Dark?

• A Flash Fiction story or two
• A look at my upcoming poetry book, Horror Haiku and Other Poems
• An October Frights version of Drabble Wednesday
• A post on the number 13 in folklore (not as boring as it sounds)
• A peek at the Brain to Books Cyber Convention and their horror events, tentatively called the Blood Spring
• Plus, I'll have some giveaways for my new book and a poster of the book cover

An InLinkz Link-up

October Frights Blog Hop Winners (And Some Poetry)

The wonderfully fun and creepy October Frights Blog Hop is done, and a grand time was had by all. I'd like to thank the magnificent Clarissa Johal for her stellar job as host, organizer, and writer wrangler.  I'd also like to thank my fellow authors and hoppers, for their tireless efforts, and their amazing blog posts. Their excerpts, tales and stories were entering and terrific.

And now on to the giveaway winners.

Originally I was only going to have one winner of the ebook prize pack, but I had such a good time I'm giving away two prize packs. The winners are:

Susan Voss

Fee Roberts

Congratulations!

And now I will end this October Frights with one last creepy goodbye...

Unhallowed Darkness

Sing the shadows

softly sleep

While the daughters

gently weep

Beyond the dark…

Beyond the night…

Stir the murky

mutely creep

With lost promises

calmly keep

Beyond the dark…

Beyond the night…

The wind, it whispers

wide and deep

The breath shall still

death will reap

Beyond the dark…

Beyond the night…

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved 

If you didn't win my giveaway, don't despair.

The Beyond the Wail Giveaway from Xchyler Publishing is still ongoing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October Frights Meets Beyond the Wail

Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!

And the Beyond the Wail Blog Tour!

Today, is last day of October Frights, but also the first day of the Beyond the Wail Blog Tour!
So I have a jammed pack post of a spooky spotlight, a review, an interview with one of the authors, Danielle Shipley, two giveaways, and more! Hold on to your hat as I present, the new paranormal anthology from Xchyler Publishing...

Beyond the Wail: 12 Grave Tales of Love and Loss

What is it about fear and the unknown that pulls so passionately at the human heart? Perhaps we are drawn not to the darkness itself, but to the resolution, the overcoming of what we most deeply dread. After all, the more terrible the struggle, the greater the victory when it comes at last. Presented in this anthology are twelve remarkable stories of the darkness that overshadows us, and the resolution that may be found beyond them. They are stories of fear and oppression, but ultimately stories of hope, stories that will take you BEYOND THE WAIL.

Today is the official release of the book!

There are some wonderful stories in this anthology, from a troubled Grim Reaper, mischievous poltergeists, vengeful ghosts, demons, magic, and much more paranormal fun. Here's a quick look and review.

 Beyond the Wail

12 Grave Tales of Love and Loss

OF MICE AND MONSTERS by Tirzah Duncan: Troubled by ghosts within and without, Benjamin struggles to become the man his girlfriend needs instead of the monster he is.

GO GENTLE by Julie Barnson: After the death of her boyfriend, a young musician uses her talents and a fabled violin to stop the fatal accidents at a dead man’s curve.

DEAD WATER by Amanda Banker: A stalled truck, an abandoned graveyard, and a town not found on any map take two brothers on a detour they’ll never forget. 

COLD SPOT by Jay Barnson: When a laptop is stolen from their computer security company, two high school buddies go to extremes to investigate. But, will they manage to return?

THE WEEPING LADY by A. F. Stewart: Eva Douglas must face her mother issues, past and present, when the disappearance of her sister forces a confrontation with a terrifying ghost.

THE POLTERGEIST AND AUNT BETTY by Ginger C. Mann: Aunt Betty is eccentric, but how much is ghost, how much is medication, and how much is just plain crazy?

THE ‘GRIM’ REAPER by L. K. McIntosh: When a soul reaper loses the source of their power,

they must either find the witch who stole it or a new purpose for living.

SHRINE OF MIRRORS by F. M. Longo: A spy on a mission becomes a believer in the supernatural when the theft of three ancient relics threaten to bring down the empire.

DEAD MAN HOCKING by T.N. Payne: A world-weary zombie learns to beware what you wish for, and not all sure bets are worth the gamble.

ST. PETER’S FISH by Alex McGilvery: Sam is a walking disaster of biblical proportions, but how much is he willing to sacrifice to escape, and will the Powers That Be allow it?

THE DIORAMA by Sebastian Bendix: A play set turns life around for Martin Taper, but things take a turn for the worse when he neglects it and the lonely child obsessed with it.

DATE DUE by Danielle E. Shipley: A magic library’s guardian determines to protect her treasured books, whether their authors elect to do things the easy way … or the fatal one.

Review of Beyond the Wail:

Since I’m one of the authors, I’m not going to do an in depth review, but rather give you one or two thoughts on each story.

OF MICE AND MONSTERS by Tirzah Duncan: 

I loved this story. It is powerful, haunting, and so excellently written.

GO GENTLE by Julie Barnson: 

Soft and sadly sweet, like the music that swirls in the story. I enjoyed it.

DEAD WATER by Amanda Banker: 

A terrific story, it pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Nicely engaging and chilling.

COLD SPOT by Jay Barnson: 

A nicely written interdimensional adventure, with some technological twists.

THE WEEPING LADY by A. F. Stewart: 

What can I say about this one? I wrote it. I like it.

THE POLTERGEIST AND AUNT BETTY by Ginger C. Mann: 

A quirky little story, amusing, a little disjointed in spots perhaps, but a fun read.

THE ‘GRIM’ REAPER by L. K. McIntosh: 

An interesting twist on the grim reaper theme, and nicely written. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, but a great story nonetheless.

SHRINE OF MIRRORS by F. M. Longo: 

I might be a bit biased with this one, as I’m partial to historical fiction, but the author does a skilful job with the myths, legends and history of feudal Japan.

DEAD MAN HOCKING by T.N. Payne: 

A good solid zombie tale, very entertaining, and some nice depth of character. I liked it very much.

ST. PETER’S FISH by Alex McGilvery: 

I found this one delightfully offbeat, a bit surreal and even philosophical.

THE DIORAMA by Sebastian Bendix: 

This is a quiet story, with a creepy edge that sort of sinks into you as a reader.

DATE DUE by Danielle E. Shipley: 

This author is fast becoming one of my favourites, and she certainly doesn’t disappoint with this story. She weaves her words in a wonderful spell that creates a mesmerizing fantasy story.

Beyond the Wail is available at

Amazon (Kindle)

Amazon (Paperback)

Goodreads

Xchyler Publishing

Book Trailer

And now for our feature interview

Presenting Danielle E. Shipley,
author of Date Due

1. How did you come up with the concept of your story?

I came across an image accompanied by the phrase, “I wish I had a secret library with all the books in the world in it.” My brain’s third reaction – after playing a few bars of the intro from “Into the Woods” and just generally drooling over the thought of ALL THE BOOKS – was to question: Suppose someone had a library full of all the books never written? How far would this bibliophile go to keep the books’ authors from writing them out of his/her possession? I wondered “aloud” on my Facebook page, and multiple responders commented, “You totally have to write this.” My muse seconded the motion, and the “Losers Weepers” theme of Xchyler Publishing’s then-upcoming anthology contest matched my premise perfectly, so I basically had no choice but to get the tale down on paper.

2. How did you come up with the title?

I wanted something equal parts library-related and ominous. “Date Due” – the little phrase seen on library book check-out cards/receipts everywhere – fit both criteria to a tee. Like a librarian’s dark day of reckoning.

3. Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.

One of my inspirations was Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Both Poe’s narrator and mine are anonymous – the text never once gives their names – and both insist throughout the story that they’re not insane, despite the fact that they are blatantly out of their minds. And, y’know, they’re both murderers.

4. What was the most surprising part of writing this story?

It was slightly slow going, for a short story of mine. I can normally knock out a story of this length in a day or two, but this one took me ten. My narrator would not be rushed. She wanted to give me her tale just so, and in her own sweet time.

5. What was the hardest part of writing your story, and how did you overcome it?

The hardest part was titling all of the books the narrator called out by name. Coming up with a title is hard enough for me when I’m familiar with the story in question. To name a book I’ve never read? Horror! Fortunately, once I’d gotten a first draft out of the way, with “[TITLE]” acting as a placeholder wherever necessary, a couple of my best pals were willing to toss out some random options, and I picked and tweaked my favorites from the list to insert into the blank spaces.

Danielle's just for fun nerd Q&A:

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Not into either one. Sci-fi doesn’t generally do it for me.

Hunger Games or Divergent?

I’ve yet to read any of the Divergent books, but the Hunger Games trilogy made an impression on me, for sure.

James Bond or Jack Ryan?

Which one’s closer to Galahad from “Kingsman”? Or Carmen Sandiego?

Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch?

Very much enjoyed what RDJ brought to the table, but I’ve got to give this one to Cumberbatch. All my love to BBC’s Sherlock!

Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto?

Aaaand we’re back to the final frontier. I respectfully abstain.               

X-Men or Avengers?

Mad love for the X-Men, but come on. The Avengers have Captain America. Forgive me, mutants!

Aliens or Predators?

I’d prefer to be preyed upon by neither.

Minions or Penguins?

I’m not sure how far either one would assist my rise to evil overlordship, but I think I liked the trailer for the penguins’ movie better, so we’ll go with that.

Batman or Superman?

Batman. Because we are the night.

Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean?

ARRRRGH! *hoists the colors* *releases the Kraken* *drinks up, me hearties, yo ho* …Which is to say, PotC all the way.

Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Not sure I could even name a single Rolling Stone song. Beatles by default, then?

Peter Jackson or James Cameron?

Raising my glass to he who took me to Middle Earth and back again. Thanks, Mr. Jackson!

Steven Spielberg or George Lucas?

*flips a coin* Spielberg.

Vampires or Werewolves?

I consider vampires to be the more intriguing “what if…?” of a monster.

LARP or MORPG?

I’m told that the socializing I do with my characters on a daily basis counts as a live-action roleplay, so we’ve got ourselves a no-brainer!

DANIELLE E. SHIPLEY

Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. . . . Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She’s also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who home schooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble.

You can find Danielle about and about the internet at these social media links:

Website  Blog  Twitter  Goodreads  Pinterest  Amazon

~*~

Ebook Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today you get another contest! 

Here's the Xchyler Publishing Rafflecopter giveaway for Beyond the Wail.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll be picking the winners in my ebook giveaway tomorrow (and most likely will be posting the name here on my blog tomorrow as well). Xchyler Publishing will be picking its own winners, and they will be contacted after the end of their giveaway.

Book Release Blog Tour

Featured Author: Danielle E. Shipley
	Saturday, October 10, 2015  Are you Afraid of the Dark?  John's Writing  Spreading the Writer's Word
Featured Author: Alex McGilvery
	Sunday, October 11, 2015   Ash Krafton: Emotion Between the Lines   Scott E. Tarbet, Author   Writer's Law of Motion
Featured Author: T.N. PAYNE
	Monday, October 12, 2015  Melissa McShane,   Author Sarah's Secret Stash  Notes from Author Ginger C. Mann
Featured Author: Ginger C. Mann
	Tuesday, October 13, 2015   L.K. McIntosh   J S Brown   Fairies & Pirates
Featured Author: L.K. McIntosh
	Wednesday, October 14, 2015   Rampant Games   Scotty Watty Doodle All The Day   Terra Luft — View From the Crystal Ball
Featured Author: Jay Barnson
	Thursday, October 15, 2015   A Storyteller's Journey   Creativity from Chaos   Christine Haggerty
Featured Author: A. F. Stewart
	Friday, October 16, 2015   Tales by Julie   Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind
Featured Author: Amanda Banker
	Saturday, October 17, 2015   Sebastian Bendix   Alex Campbell   Semi Short chic
Featured Author: Julie Barnson
	Sunday, October 18, 2015   The Ink Caster   The Road to Nowhere
Featured Author: Sebastian Bendix
	Monday, October 19, 2015   The J. Aurel Guay Archive   :DandiFluff...
Featured Author: Tirzah Duncan
	Tuesday, October 20, 2015   Alex McGilvery's World   A.M.Harte
Featured Author: F.M. Longo
	Wednesday, October 21, 2015   Ever On Word   The Cult of Me

And be sure to give our October Frights bloggers list one last whirl:

October Frights: Last Call

Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!

For today’s post you get a little spectral sci-fi. Where no one can hear you scream…

Last Call

I stood outside my favourite rundown bar. It being my favourite mainly because it was the only bar on this backwater planet. Above me, filling the tangerine sky, the screaming warships raced off to the front lines. Fighters, heavy cruisers, troop ships, they all headed to the battlefront. Not a good place to be. I should know, I just returned from there. I still had the grime, plasma burns and blood on my battle suit to prove that fact.

I remember being there. I had memories of being in battle, exchanging plasma bursts with the enemy, advancing across the dust fields. I remember all of that. I don’t remember how I got back here.

Shock, maybe? I’ve heard of battle fatigue syndrome. Could it be that what’s messing with my head?

It didn’t matter, though. I couldn’t worry about it yet. The only thing that mattered was a cold beer, with a hard liquor chaser. Maybe New Alder Vodka. It had a fresh minty flavour, but with a kick that could knock you off your bar stool.

Wait. How did I get inside? Oh well. Bring me the beer and the vodka.

I sidled up to the bar and tried to get the bartender’s attention. He ignored me. Too busy watching the vid screen with some punk kid who didn’t have the guts to sign up to fight. Nobody respected soldiers anymore. I looked up at the program they were watching. It was the news. I noticed the headline flashing across the screen: All Presumed Dead at the Battle of the Incarnadine Dunes.

Hey. That’s where I was fighting. How can we all be dead when—

That’s when I saw the list of the fallen soldiers scrolling up the screen. That’s when I saw my name listed…

I screamed. No one in bar noticed.

Holy shit. It’s true. I was dead.

I was dead.

I guess I’m not getting that beer and vodka chaser.

Damn.

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

Ebook Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For More October Frights Fun Check Out The Bloggers List: