Midwesterngothic Stories

Poems and rambles from life and road trips in the midwest. I drive and I write, I write and I drive. Whenever and wherever the inspiration hits.

Part murder mystery, part midwestern gothic, and part spiritual memoir, Belinda Bee is the story of coming of age in a 1960's rural community awash in a bewildering stew of religion, patriarchy, sin and secrets. A story of mystical beauty and haunting tragedy unfolds through the eyes of a young girl as she tries to protect her sister, the only witness to a terrible crime.

ohhh laney. Precious angel.

Regional gothic from around the United States.

Here is a compelling story description for The Dirt of 59 Souls, designed to capture the atmospheric horror and the "monkey's paw" twist of your narrative. Story Description: The Dirt of 59 Souls Genre: Folk Horror / Supernatural Thriller Setting: Oakhaven, Nebraska, 1963 The Hook: In the isolated town of Oakhaven, the population never wavers. It is a place of absolute equilibrium: fifty-nine souls. No more, no less. To the outside world, it's a statistical anomaly; to the residents, it is a sacred, bloody contract with the land itself. The Story: When Sarah Vance, the future bride of the powerful Mitchell family, suddenly "vanishes" into the Nebraska heat, her sister Clara begins a desperate search for the truth. But the Mitchells aren't grieving-they are waiting. Into the void left by Sarah steps Deanna D., a drifter with a suitcase full of secrets and a shimmering, magical vial of tincture that allows her to slip into a dead girl's life unnoticed. The Mitchells didn't kill Sarah, but they are protecting the woman who did. Driven by a dark alchemy and a ruthless ambition to steal a life she didn't earn, Deanna dabs her pulse points with a potion that blinds the town to her crimes. But as Clara draws closer to the truth of the High Ridge limestone bluffs, she discovers the terrifying reality of Oakhaven's math: for Deanna to truly become a Mitchell-and for a new heir to be born-the 59th seat must be vacated. The Twist: Deanna D. thinks she has outsmarted the law and the land. She believes she has traded her life as a drifter for a life of stability and power. But as the town sign flips from 59 to 58, Deanna realizes the ultimate horror of her "mission." In Oakhaven, you don't just take a spot; the spot takes you. By murdering her way into the count, she has walked into a gilded cage she can never leave, becoming a permanent prisoner of the very cycle she helped create.

Short stories that I write in my free time

"The Outpost is a living being, and it's out for all of us." Kathleen wakes up with no recollection of who she is or what happened to her. Guided only by heartfelt letters and mysteriously knowledgeable notebooks left behind by a man who claims to love her, she must navigate through a strange and dangerous world full of horrors that want her blood. But how will this story end?

Close encounters is a collection of extraterrestrial encounters, lost memories, and field journals collected and preserved for the believers to enjoy. Break out your tinfoil hats if you want, but remember: They can still see you, and how silly you look in your bunker :) Also included are Sci-Fi Scenarios (marked SFS) that contain more futuristic, normalized human-alien interactions.