Fantasy“To My (Final) Girl” by Dustin Katz
“A Softness of the Heart” by Lulu Kadhim
“There Will Be a Question and Answer Period After Your Inevitable Demise” by Marika Bailey
“I Would” by Benjamin C. Kinney
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are four original short stories in this 69th issue, including two flash fictions. All the stories were entertaining and thought-provoking.
“To My (Final) Girl” by Dustin Katz
In this flash fantasy, Tom and Connie go from one haunted nightmare to another. It’s Connie who finds them and Tom who is usually the first to die in them. It’s getting tiresome for Tom, but can he convince Connie to stop?
The prose was light and entertaining, though the subject has been explored many times in the horror genre.
“A Softness of the Heart” by Lulu Kadhim
A young girl named Louise has two concerns in this short fantasy. Her beloved Auntie Violet recently died, and she likes Aminah, a girl in her class. Louise’s other aunt says Violet died of a soft heart, and Louise had better be careful not to succumb to the same fate.
Then aunt Violet’s ghost comes calling on Louise at nighttime, and the young girl must make some crucial decisions.
“A Softness of the Heart” was a brief but pleasant story to read.
“There Will Be a Question and Answer Period After Your Inevitable Demise” by Marika Bailey
Someone has died in this flash fantasy. And now they face an inquiry before moving on to the next step in the afterlife. The inquirers say it’s not heaven or hell and that such concepts don’t exist. All-in-all they aren’t helpful at all, and an arrogant SOB must now wait on what’s to come after.
This story portrayed a disturbing afterlife, but the prose was not stimulating to the imagination.
“I Would” by Benjamin C. Kinney
Knira is a seer of the North Star and capable of giving a prophecy in this short fantasy. She is a prisoner of Queen Iroda and forced to prophesize the best plan for any event at court. Any sight of the stars helps her foretell the future. However, Knira’s god has blocked her from any prophecy about the queen herself.
When two warriors come to the city, the queen seeks advice on convincing them to pass through quickly. Knira gives a truthful enough answer but holds back on the true purpose of their visit.
The plot for “I Would” was mysterious but felt repetitive with a predictable ending.
You can follow Kevin P Hallett’s writing on www.kevinphallett.com