"Scent of Darkness" is part of a series of related stories that the author has been writing off and on for three years. They are all set in the same unnamed Midwestern village, and nearly all (so far) are in the 1950s. They have reoccurring characters, themes, images, and specific locations -- but each is unique in terms of narrative style and/or structure. "Scent of Darkness" was written in the fall of 2013 and appeared in Black Denim Lit in March 2014.