A short story collection regarding a weird new take on Beauty and the Beast. chapter one: the first story, the main index chapter two: before the first

and you are so exquisite that you wilt daises with your smile (#832 in poetry 04/24/18)

Eliott King's sister is dead, and so are her boyfriend and her best friend, found dead in a river, blood leaking from all over. Then more people start showing up in the river dead, and something is seriously wrong - seriously, seriously wrong. Most of the town turns immediately to blaming a serial killer, pointing fingers at the neighbors they hate and the ones that hate them, or some freak animal, blaming the same neighbors' dogs and saying they have rabies. But Eliott's grandmother doesn't think so, and neither does Ezra Terrell, the unbearably cute kid next door, and neither does Mei Xiao, the recent transplant from China. The four try to find out what is behind these deaths, but in doing so, they stir up old conflicts that run deeply in Troy, Vermont - conflicts that could kill them and everything and everyone they care about and love.

and god, i love you. // inspired by "art class" by rhiannon mcgavin // #68 in poetry

Le Cirque de Méfait - The Circus of Mischief (n.) a place where the mischievous dreams of children are taken very seriously and are shown in a comical light; a dark place with even darker secrets ~ What is it like, Le Cirque de Méfait? Some people swear to you that it's the most wonderful thing. Some people will say that it's whimsical and fun. Good for the family. For all ages. Well my friends, I myself have been to the Circus of Mischief, and I am here to tell you the truth. It's all a lie. So what is it really like? It's dark secrets. Tortured souls, and stolen identities. The instant you step backstage, the atmosphere is warped. There are shadows dragging around performers in chains. There's a room with dolls hanging from strings, and other dolls with needles sticking out of them and even more dolls dangling from the legs above glasses of water. There's a man reading tarrot cards promising fortunes for his favorites. The obedient ones. The powerful ones that show promise. What is it really like? Imagine this, my friends. Imagine driving through town after work, after dark. You're driving peacefully, and suddenly you see an advertisement for a circus. Le Cirque de Méfait. The advertisement catched your attention, naturally. It's hard to miss, hard to ignore. And that's exactly what they wanted. Within the blink of an eye, your car is flipped. Your head hits the center console and suddenly you're unable to function or see or anything. And then you wake up, chained to the wall of a boxcar on a moving train. You wonder why the performers always looked so tortured. This is what happened to them. Take extra care, that it does not happen to you. - cover by @_nyctophilia_