Fantasy “Your Ticket to Hell” by Rajan Khanna
“Dos Coyotes” by Catherine J. Cole
“A Gift from the Queen of Faerie to the King of Hell” by Cara Masten DiGirolamo
“The Port of Le Havre, Night Effect, 1873” by Christine Tyler
Reviewed by Tara Grímravn
There are four stories on offer this month at Fantasy Magazine. Each one deals with the theme of transformation in one fashion or another. For the most part, they are relatively short reads but entertaining nonetheless.
“Your Ticket to Hell” by Rajan Khanna
You stand aboard a ferry. Your destination is Hell, for which you have purchased a ticket. With you are other tourists, all headed for the same location. Once there, you’re led towards a black castle behind towering black walls. Instead of being shown inside, however, you’re given a shovel and told to dig. But for how long?
Told in the second person, Khanna’s story is an intriguing look at how we are sometimes our own worst enemies. The pacing is slow, but it’s not plodding or boring. Rather, it emphasizes the torturous existence that the damned lead, especially once they begin to forget who they are. The rare resurfacing of a memory here and there only serves to make things worse, to make it easier to lose yet another piece of one’s identity due to the grief and pain that such memories dredge up. The reveal at the end drives home the point that, if we’re not careful, we may be unknowingly digging our own proverbial graves, subjecting ourselves to a torment that may or may not be deserved. And, once we’ve let ourselves slip too far, it may be impossible to ever come back.
“Dos Coyotes” by Catherine J. Cole
A shapeshifter able to assume the form of a coyote, Lupita fights to maintain her human form tonight. Recent events have made it dangerous to go out hunting. Not long ago, she’d bitten a young boy out of fear while in coyote form. Since then, the locals have been killing coyotes in droves. But as she wrestles with the pain, a knock at her door brings with it a new fear.
I quite enjoyed Cole’s story. It’s short at just 1,000 words, but stories about shapeshifters other than werewolves are so few and far between that it’s just nice to read something a bit different. The tale is just a snapshot of a few moments in Lupita’s life, but it’s engaging nonetheless. The ending is unexpected but sweet, and despite the story’s brevity, I found it quite easy to connect with the characters. Unfortunately, its length makes it difficult to say too much without giving away any spoilers, but it is well worth a read.
“A Gift from the Queen of Faerie to the King of Hell” by Cara Masten DiGirolamo
Mav watches through a tattoo shop window as an artist draws a rose design for a client. The style is perfect, Mav thinks, and convinces the artist, Mimi, to draw a similar design. During the second session with Mimi, Mav is confronted by Luc, the person for whom the original rose design was made. As a romantic relationship blossoms between the two, Mav soon realizes that Luc belongs to another, and freedom from that agreement won’t be easily won.
DiGirolamo’s story is, at its core, an exploration of gender identity. Neither Mav nor Luc identify as male or female—at the very least, they are gender fluid, switching easily from one to the other as they see fit. In terms of the story itself, the storyline is interesting enough. In this world, Faerie and Hell are very real places that pose a threat to humans, especially considering Faerie’s tendency to capture mortals for various purposes.
One thing that I particularly appreciate about this story is that it is very obviously a retelling of the Scottish fairy ballad of Tam Lin (or Tamlane, Tam Lien, or any of a number of variants on the name). In that story, a young girl falls in love with (and becomes pregnant by) the handsome Tam Lin, himself a human captive of the Faery Queen. It’s only through her bravery and tenacity that she is able to rescue her lover. A favorite of mine, DiGirolamo’s version is a respectable modernization of this fairy tale.
“The Port of Le Havre, Night Effect, 1873” by Christine Tyler
An unnamed narrator sits on a dock, water lapping at her feet. Stories of mermaids, selkies, and mother Eve run through her mind; stories in which the girl must choose between staying or leaving this world.
Another piece of flash fiction, Tyler’s story is a bit of an enigma at first glance. For being so short (700 words), it’s far deeper than it appears. When I first read through it, I had to wonder how this could have possibly been included in the fantasy genre. On the second read, however, the meaning hit home. This isn’t just a quick, contemporary tale about a suicidal individual. Tyler’s tale expresses quite beautifully that feeling of longing, of inner knowing that one belongs elsewhere, that one is so much more than the physical form would suggest, and the despair that comes from the understanding that, at least for the time being, one is held captive against one’s will, not knowing if a return home is even possible. A highly recommended read.