Fungus Stories

*Note: This is a rebooted version of an old story, that had its outline scrapped and reworked to fit the prompts for the ONC. Essentially, a new book for this competition. Only the core concept is kept the same.* ----- A ribbon, a hair-clip, a pen, a notebook and a radio, held in the arms of a sixteen year old girl... ... It's been four hundred of years since The Rot ravaged the world and sent people downward with its decaying touch, four hundred years since humanity has inhaled even a breath of fresh air and twenty years since the first fifth-generation child was born in the shelters deep underground. And now, beneath the poisoned earth at the edge of the world, only six of them remain living in the last surviving shelter, the last surviving Lifelight illuminating a darkened board. For the rest were claimed by The Rot. Protected at all costs, older generations shields the worst of the consequences, the worst of the panic, but truth cannot be hidden forever. With increasing tensions and increasing crime, it becomes clear that there are only two outcomes: to die in strife or to die in silence. That is, until an inexplicable hope presents itself in the form of a radio transmission originating from the single most uninhabitable place on Earth, the surface. But it's too late, too late for most, other than the most protected, the youngest, the fifth generation. The waiting game is over and now it's a race against time. Before The Rot reaches them, before they run out of supplies, the handful of survivors must reach out and find the source of the transmission. From this, there are only two possible results: death or a secured future.

In a world dominated by conformity, a mycelium-born individual finds themselves navigating the complexities of Western society. Unaware of their unique origins, they grapple with fitting in while their mycelial essence pulls them towards a different way of knowing and being. Bewildered by capitalism, colonialism, and individualism, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, challenging societal norms and advocating for interconnectedness. This standalone short story explores the autistic experience and offers a social commentary on the oppressive systems that shape our world. Join the protagonist as they unravel the mycelium within and seek to forge their own path amidst a society that often fails to appreciate their unique perspective. *From my neurodistinct brain. Generated with the help of ChatGPT.

Paxiss is in desperate need of an escape. As a palace servant girl, she can only take so much time alone for herself. When she hears crying in the woods, she discovers it's coming from a twisted, coal-black tree. What's inside may be the key to unlocking the problems besetting her world. But is Paxiss ready to open up and face the secrets of her own home? It was a sound in the woods that led to an act of kindness. An act of kindness that led to a debt. A debt that led to a mystery at the center of a realm. Autumn for Black Tree is a story of love and of monsters, wherever you find them and whatever form they may take. (Audiobook version for each chapter and full book is on YouTube. Links at the start of each chapter.) [Word count of 30,000-35,000 words]

This is a story of pretty much anything you want. We have magic. Wicked magic, that is. We have alchemy. We have false charges placed on the wrong person at the wrong time. We have our villain: Esmeralda "Madonna" Greene; the witch on whose behalf (so to say) her brother wrote. We have her brother Alexander as a sidekick; a connoisseur of fungi who finds just the hallucinogen for an unsuspecting victim. And we also have a hero. He's... just your ordinary police officer, who gets in a whole lot of trouble for a crime he didn't commit. We have a lot of things going on, and I won't spoil it for you. Read for yourselves! Cover, as you see, by the phenomenal @sallaria_ann.