Folksburywoods

Frank loved his critters with all his heart and cared for them as if they were his children. His favorite was Dasiy, who had been hauling firewood to the village for ten years. Although she was aging, Frank gave her all the comforts of home. Dusty was another story entirely.…

The forest is cool, dark, and wet. Sinjin likes it that way. The others, the ones he hunts, can’t hear him when it’s damp and move slowly when it’s cool. Sinjin likes the dark. He sees the others, but they don’t see him, and it is better that way—more food…

Tekla was returning home from the war to a home where she was unwelcome. The memories of the villagers calling her “warrior girl” and then spitting at her came flooding back. The fault was not her’s. She had not chosen this path. It was thrust upon her and even ran…

You may not see him, but he is always there peeking out from behind a tree or stump, perched up in the limbs or under the cover of tall grass; the Apple Tree Man is watching. Folklore says the Apple Tree Man lives in the oldest tree in the orchard,…

Anya was still in her mother’s womb the last time the dragon blood tree bloomed. Her mother pressed several leaves in the family’s book of remembrance. Anya could not imagine what it would be like to glaze upon the tree in full bloom. In her one-hundred-and-eighth year, Anya received word…

Old Dan Tittelson had worked in Devon for thirty years and never liked a day of it. He loved his work at the mill but hated the walk home every night. If Dan was goaded into having a pint at the Drunken Sailor, he regretted it when he finished and…

Petunia Whoo lived alone in a small cottage on the edge of the moors. Some time ago, her husband had died suddenly during a winter sickness. Rising before dawn, the farm lady milks the cows, makes the bread, and splits the firewood for the day. Breakfast is simple—hot porridge with…

Metzger did not know his age. His life in the swamp had seen many suns cross the sky. Each day was the same: wake, kill flesh, eat flesh, then sleep. Sometimes, the two legs would come to his swamp, so he killed and ate them. When he was smaller, his…

Greetings, weary travelers, and welcome to the library. The Master is away securing needed supplies of worms-wort for our Halloween brew. Please sit and relax while I tell you about my recent adventure in the Yucatan Peninsula to secure this rare stone mask of Empiror Ciksmihalyi. After the Master and…