Posts tagged short fiction

The goal was to write a paranormal romance in 3,000 words. Tricky. One day, it will be a novel. Until then, it’s this:

Fear of Darkness

by me, Christine Danse :)=

I.

California, 1894

I crouch on a building where land meets sea, looking down at the ships in harbor. A fog has rolled in from the bay, making them appear ghostly. Their sails are all furled for the night. Only the pennants on their top masts are free to fly and snap in the chill wind. They put me in mind of Alena’s hair when it flies from its ties. The flags are just like her: a free spirit. 

I dream of making love to her in velvet darkness, where she would know only the sound of my low voice and the whisper of my caress—and not the grotesque visage behind them. I would show her that not all the monsters that haunt the shadows are bad.

A pity she loathes the dark.

My Gentleman Shadow smoothed a lock of hair behind my ear. The pads of his fingers were rough, but the touch was tender. His mouth brushed close to my ear as he whispered, “I want to make love to you with the lights on.”

I shuddered and reached my hand for the lamp switch—

And was woken by a frantic rapping at the door.

I jolted upright in bed. The glow of the gaslamp at my bedside told me that it was still dark out, for it was set to switch off come dawn. I glanced at the clock. It read one.

Blinking and rankled, I got the door. Detective Gurney’s wife stood wide-eyed on my stoop. The Detective consulted me frequently for my expertise in the occult. I had met his wife twice for dinner, though she had never called on me like this before. “Madam Swift! Come quickly, please!” 

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