They were four in number. Each one bonded in love, as they came closer to the village, seeking shelter amidst the raging storm. Little did they know that Derkan has lured them in its dream trap. Reality bends for them, breaking their perceptions beyond time and space. But there lies an escape, a dangerous conquest, they must do it. Do it through their dreams and free themselves from this unknown terror. An entry to open novella contest 2021. Based on the prompt of ' All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.' Status: Complete Words Per Chapter: 1000-2000 approx. Total word count: 33,131 approx. Rounds qualified:- Round one (Qualified) Round two (Qualified)

Matthew Novak and Sienna Alvarez are two people in a world they don't remember. Nothing seems familiar to them except each other, and even then the nature of their relationship is unclear. Matthew's ordeal is further complicated because many people know him and some even insist they witnessed his death. For Sienna, on the other hand, no one even recalls her existing before now. Together, they face a world where people must live in sprawling cities and other 'sanctuary zones' created by the gods in order to escape the reality-warping sickness that is consuming the planet of Teras. If things weren't bad enough, the powerful Queen Mother Cybele's ambitious plan to save the world is instead leading to a conflict that threatens to seal its doom. Now, whether they like it or not, Matthew and Sienna have become agents of the enigmatic Silas, a god who believes the pair's unique powers will play a vital role in the salvation of Teras. But can they trust Silas when he is deliberately withholding information about their origins, supposedly for their own good? Are these so-called gods what they claim to be? Matthew and Sienna's journey will take them from futuristic high-tech cities to sword and sorcery battlefields to dark lands where twisted eldritch terrors are gnawing their way into this reality. As these heroes choose whether to embrace the destiny set before them or create their own, maybe, just maybe, they can rise to become the champions Teras needs. ---This is an important story to me, one that started in my mind over 20 years ago and has continued to evolve and mature into what it is today.---

I'm trying my hand at an original Lovecraft-inspired short story. It centers around Yig, one of the lesser-known deities in the Cthulhu mythos. This snake god was featured in "The Curse of Yig" by H. P. Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop, published in 1929 under Bishop's name. I'm deliberately using a lot of "tell don't show" and minimal dialogue but not quite so wordy as Lovecraft was.

I can't go down to the water's edge. I didn't do it. I saw who did. Don't go down to the water's edge. They did it once and they can do it again. A short horror story inspired by a song. (See Afterword)

A man is willing to go to any lengths to avenge the death of his wife at the hands of a powerful demon. He would even risk enslaving his soul to another demon- One that wears the shape of a heavy, double-barreled handgun.

A lone mage, last of his kind, finds himself thrust into the chaos of a secret war.

Tyler is being hunted by the Grinning Man and flees to Marble Springs, where he teams up with Serling and Price, real estate agents who sell haunted houses. ***** After his brother disappears and a burial mound explodes, high school student Tyler Graves starts having strange visions. His brother warns him that something is coming for him. Soon, Tyler's entire family is slaughtered, and he's being hunted by an otherworldly entity known as The Grinning Man. Fleeing to Marble Springs, he meets Serling and Price, real estate agents who specialize in selling haunted houses. It's up to this unlikely trio to stop a madman from destroying the world - by literally unleashing Hell on Earth! (Sequel to Apartment 239.) [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

**1ST PLACE FEATURED IN HORROR 8-31** Alzar's mind wasn't the only thing that was falling apart. ---- After an emotional outburst lands him in the principal's office, Alzar Lorne forced into a series of in-depth sessions with the school's new counselor, Miss 'Fancy' Hastur. However, with each meeting, Alzar's anxieties only seem to worsen, and he can't shake the feeling that something is off with Miss Fancy. He couldn't be more right.

The stories in this are not in chronological order nor do they have the same protagonist.