Loser’s Fiction Audio

I wrote this four years ago, posted it here under the original title ‘Why Death Abounds’ but I split it into two parts because it’s basically a novella. This time it’s all one and renamed after a new poem that links the stories: ONE “and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭26‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬ The smartly dressed...

I wrote this story about four years ago. It was originally titled Who Heard the Sound . The title was a line from a poem I wrote which linked five stories together. I rewrote the poem so that the stories had more interesting names. My intent was to rewrite each story, but I came to realize that rewriting old stories is a slippery slope. So here is the original. 34 Hours: Post-Exposure A heart moni...

(I wrote this about four years ago, posted it here once, then later removed it with the intent of rewriting it, now I’m posting it again unrewritten because I am still proud of it for where I was as an author and I have lots of other stories I want to tell.) The boat dips and bobs, as much from the partygoers overhead as the deep choppy waters they’ve drifted into. Below deck, smells of vomit and...

( Previous Chapter Thirty-Seven ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty-Nine ) 5th Day in the 1st of Delód’s Months, Rainy Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 127th Reckoned Year …but of them all, the tower whale is able to breach the highest, despite being the largest known species. This is because tower whales boast the strongest tail of all. They need this strength t...

( Previous Chapter Thirty-Six ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty-Eight ) 4th Day in the 1st of Delód’s Months, Rainy Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 127th Reckoned Year O’ great Face of Dōmünfoll, how mysterious are your features. You humble the most praised sculptor; you teach skill to master teachers. “The Face of Dōmünfoll”, From Great Sculptures of the Oull...

( Previous Chapter Thirty-Five ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty-Seven ) 3rd Day in the 1st of Delód’s Months, Rainy Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 127th Reckoned Year All of my yesterdays bleed fourth to paint a new tomorrow. Fate, be thou my paint brush; death, cast aside thy sorrow. Let rest. Let rest on mine canvas, all thou dost want to be. Let rest. Let...

( Previous Chapter Third Interlude ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty-Six ) 3rd Day in the 1st of Delód’s Months, Rainy Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 127th Reckoned Year Beyond the broad wake of morning, I carry you with heavy heart. Below the horizon I take you, you who are now set apart. And though I care more deeply, more deeply than the sea, I will not cl...

( Previous Chapter Thirty-Four ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) (Next Chapter ) (Authors Note: the formatting for the Interludes doesn’t hold up well in Substack, but hopefully they are still readable and enjoyable. They are not essential to the story, but they serve to color in the world. Also some of the most over-the-top and ridiculous voice work is in the interlude spaces, so enjoy that.) Exce...

( Previous Chapter Thirty-Three ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Third Interlude ) 1st Day in the 1st of Delód’s Months, Rainy Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 127th Reckoned Year The Vánüm language, or the Elder Tongue: Núl, sometimes stylized as Nul or Null, definition: disharmony, unbalance, or disunity From ‘Captain's Log’ of the Painful Lady , written by Captain...

( Previous Chapter Thirty-Two ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty-Four ) 30th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year Saint Wōde appeared, disguised, to two wise men and he asked them both, “Is Truth beyond us?” The first man answered, “No, it is not beyond us because we can know Truth, if we seek it out.” The sec...

(Previous Chapter Thirty-One ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty-Three ) 30th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year …The anger of a boiler shark, like blood in the water. A love of hurt and death and pain, caught the son from his fisherman father. He hooked his prey and he slew his enemy; he made the sea to boil...

( Previous Chapter Thirty ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty-Two ) 25th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year …There are those with the sea in their eyes and the wind in their hearts. They breathe the sun and speak the language of ships. They stand in the deep and swim through the shallows. Their name is earned...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Nine ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) (Next Chapter Thirty-One) 24th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year Tradition is a love and respect of the past, and defiant ignorance can be much the same. Contentedness is a gratitude for what is in the present, and complacent slothfulness can be much the same. Hop...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Eigh t) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Thirty ) 24th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year … because the essence of love is loss: to truly love our neighbor, we must give something up for their sake. What is love if it is easily given? It is cheap. And how much harder is it to love that whi...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Seven ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Nine ) 24th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year … dress like a beggar and ask for a scale, dress like a king and ask for a whale. From ‘ Acceptance Speech’ of Fellpost HelBenorg , as recorded by Scrivener Fowdin-Mell in the Unreckoned Years Th...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Six ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Eight ) 24th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year … Into the water, below the waves, secret passes, hidden caves… From ‘ Rite of Entry’ , Fāy-Núl Tör, Author Unknown in the Unreckoned Years Chapel lounges against the bowsprit and stares at the pa...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Five ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Seven ) 24th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year What is the most important part of a ship? Is it the sails, who catch the winds? Is it the masts, whose strength holds the sails? Is it the hull, whose thick boards keep the waters at bay? Is it...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Four ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Six ) 24th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year Death lives a long life. She watches with unblinking eye, the slow passing of all time. Yet, it passes not for Her. She is what was here before. Darkness. Eternity. She is what gives Life worth. A...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Three ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Five ) 23rd Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year 23 Bend shovels into spears. Change water into fire. Steal life from death. From ‘ The Book of Conflict’ , Chapter 3 Verse 23, the Sanctum of Souls, Written by Saint Ründ in the Unreckoned Years...

( Previous Chapter Second Interlude ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Four ) 23rd Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year I speak softly to your loosely held soul, pleading not for time, nor for life, nor for ease. I beg for guidance in the world below, that I might find you before your final peace “Mourning Son...

This is one of three bonus stories I included in the hardcover version of my fantasy novel, Swells Over Still Waters (the Amazon pricing for hardcovers is expensive so I wanted to make it special). These stories hold no spoilers for the book and take place prior to it, giving extra depth to secondary characters I liked. I’ll be publishing them alongside each Interlude. When Gorsha was a little gir...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-Two ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Three ) (Authors Note: the formatting for the Interludes doesn’t hold up well in Substack, but hopefully they are still readable and enjoyable. They are not essential to the story, but they serve to color in the world. Also some of the most over-the-top and ridiculous voice work is in the interlude spaces, so enjo...

( Previous Chapter Twenty-One ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Second Interlude ) 20th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year There was once a man who found an ancient cave. Inside, there was a fire lit long ago, and it illuminated a large wooden sculpture wrought by unknown hands. The sculpture was perfect in every...

( Previous Chapter Twenty ) (Book Homepage & Chapter List) ( Next Chapter Twenty-Two ) 20th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year … like a Saintstone coin hurled into the sea are words of wisdom to them that will not hear… From ‘Wisdom of Saint Delód’ of the Church of the Deep, Written by Saint Delód in the Unreckoned Years After...

I watch the hole in the man’s forehead be healed by a magic bullet. His brain matter and blood leap off the asphalt and crowd into the crimson gash above his eyes. The bullet departs through the unmarred back of his skull. The man is left unharmed and crouching over a shattered phone, a hammer held aloft in his hand, rage colored in his cheeks. The ruined phone begins to assemble itself on the dri...