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Rings

Traveller you took no heed,

Let yourself be led astray,

To the rings of mushrooms,

Appearing in your way.

To you it seemed an hour at most,

The dance a harmless game.

But now released you find that decades passed,

And the world, it forgot your name.

#poetry #short poem #writing #creative writing #fantasy #myths #magic #fairies #fae #mushroom ring #mushrooms

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Old Gods

They say the old gods are gone,

Lost to the mist of a different age.

To put away our story books,

Turn our backs and turn the page.

But then why does the moon call us,

In the deepest part of night?

Why do branches comb through our hair,

Like a parent telling us that it’s all right?

Why does the ocean speak to us,

As we stand upon the beach?

Why does the wind sound like a song,

A memory just out of our reach?

Why do the creatures follow us,

No matter where we roam?

And how do we know there’s someone unseen,

Always there to guide us home?

You see, the old gods never left us,

And they’re never going to leave.

All it takes to notice them,

Is a second to believe.

#poetry #poems #fantasy #myths #legends #writing #magic

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Teeth

A gleaming flash of teeth,

Slicing through the night.

Your heart starts beating faster,

Giving into your fright.

Better try to keep it quiet,

Or they will hear it too,

They are thirsty, they are hunters,

And tonight they’re hunting you.

#poetry #poems #short poem #fantasy #myths #legends #spooky #vampires

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Full Moon

Full moon hanging bright,

The howling of the pack,

Changed for just one night,

Desperate for a snack.

No memories come morning,

No memory of the call,

And the full moon still remains,

The sole witness of it all.

#poetry #poems #short poem #fantasy #mythology #writing #werewolves #werewolves changing during full mood #back to writing #fantasy poem

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Magpies

One lonely bird brings sadness,

But a second one brings cheer,

Three and four will tell you,

Of your future child dear.

Five and six bring precious metals,

And other riches you can hold,

While seven whispers warnings

Of a secret better left untold.

Eight will grant you something

You’ve wanted from the start.

And nine helps you show affection,

To the one that holds your heart.

Ten is of importance,

Don’t let it leave your gaze.

Eleven promises good health to you

For the remainder of your days.

Twelve brings happiness and fortune,

Of this there is no doubt,

But should you count to thirteen…

Your luck has just run out.

#poerty #poem #short poem #folklore #superstition #nursery rhymes #one for sorrow #rewriting old nursery rhyme #the magpie rhyme #counting magpies #birds #magpies #magic #myths #legends #telling the future #corvids

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Rules

Avoid the wisps and mushroom rings,

Take iron wherever you go,

Accept no food or drink freely given,

Rowan trees are more than just for show.

But never mind all that now,

You had potential; it’s a shame,

That all your preparing became obsolete,

The second you said your name.

#poerty #poems #original poetry #short poem #mini poem #fantasy #mythology #legends #folklore #fairy #fairies #fey #rules regarding the fey #fairy protection #magic #names give power

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Return

You fell in love the moment you saw her,

The girl on the shore,

And you spoke a promise to her heart,

To love her now and forever more.

But now she longs to see her home,

In deepest sea where currents flow,

So if you truly love her,

Return her sealskin and let her go.

#poetry #poems #original poem #short poetry #short poem #fantasy #mythology #myths #mythical beings #selkie #selkies were said to sometimes fall for humans

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Healed

You curiosity bested you,

Convinced to eat the berries that you found,

Now colors dance before your hazy eyes,

As you lay upon the ground.

Its pearly horn is cooling to your burning skin,

As it is laid upon your head,

When your mind clears you wonder,

Was it a dream or something else instead?

#poetry #poem #original poem #short poem #mini poem #fantasy #mythology #myths #legends #magic #unicorn #unicorns can cure poison

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Lights

The woods they have no signposts,

Now you, traveller, are lost.

The wisps of light may lead you somewhere,

But be wary of the cost.

They might mark the forest pathways,

But they will not lead you home to bed,

If you still choose them to follow,

Traveller, be careful where you tread.

#poetry #poem #original poem #short poetry #short poem #mini poem #fantasy #mythology #myths #legends #will o the wisp #fairies #fey #lost in the woods

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one of several short poems I’m writing about various creatures from myths & legends

Deep waters

Many a sailor has come this way,

Only to find no wind fills their sails.

But rare are those who try to leave,

Entranced by sweet voices and silvery tails.

But heed this warning sailor,

Deep waters hold secrets you should know,

Their angelic songs and beautiful faces,

Hide the shipwrecks down below.

#poetry #poem #original poem #short poem #fantasy #mythology #myth #mermaids #sirens #legends #bermuda triangle #mini poem

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One Hell of a Job

-Part 4-

Sensing that perhaps the two of them needed to talk things out, Tazronath guided the two men into the office before excusing herself for a extended lunch break and leaving them alone. This is where they are currently, staring at each other in a mixture of confusion, disgust and an emotion that can only be described as the almost overwhelming urge to throw the other person headfirst through the glass wall while cheerful music plays in the background.  Zalgren looks away first and gestures to a rather uncomfortable looking chair in front of the heavy, black desk.

“May I sit down?”

Harrison nods and after a look around the sparsely furnished office, he sits awkwardly behind the desk.

“So, what’s this whole Supreme Advisor, devil’s guide business?”

“You, in a moment of extreme stupidity, named me as your guide. That means I’ve now been promoted from my customer service job, where I worked alone,to spend the next who-knows-how-long as your advisor making sure you don’t destroy Hell!”

“Well Zagden, maybe that should have been made clear in the contract.”

Any amount of hope that Zalgren has of making it through this without losing his mind dwindles every time the idiot sitting in front of him opens his mouth to speak. Of all the people that could have ended up as the new ruler of Hell, he’s pretty sure Harrison is the worst. Which is saying something because, you know, Zalgren is a demon who’s seen some pretty poor examples of humanity.

“ First of all, it’s Zalgren. Since you’re the reason we’re stuck working together the least you can do is get my name right. Second, regardless of what you think about our contracts, it’s over and done with and we’re stuck together for the foreseeable future. So let’s move on. First let’s go over your duties as ruler of Hell.”

“Let me guess, coming up with new torture techniques? Putting together the annual budget for fire and brimstone? Making a list of all the bad people who are going to end up here?”

One of these days someone is going to wipe that smug look off Harrison’s face and Zalgren hopes that he’ll be there to see it happen.

“Not even close. Fire and brimstone? Really? What kind of place do you think we’re running here?”

“Hell, obviously.”

“There is no fire and brimstone, no nine layers of tortures, no lakes of lava and most people aren’t forced to come here.”

“Then why are there so many people here? And what do you guys do if you’re not torturing all the time?”

“We do our part to keep the balance of the universe, like I told you before.”

Seeing his boss’s half confused, half disbelieving look, Zalgren knows he’ll need to explain further. Wonderful.

“ It’s like this, yes there are some horrible people who find themselves living out the rest of eternity here, and believe me, it’s not pleasant, but for the most part we’re not as evil as all you humans seem to think we are. When someone dies, they have the choice to access any afterlife they so choose. No one is forced anywhere. They get to pick whatever they would prefer as their PLCP, post-living career path. From that moment they work as part of their assigned job in tandem with every other afterlife to keep the universe from imploding. The afterlife is essentially multiple huge businesses, filled with employees.”

“All those choices, why would anyone choose Hell?”

Zalgren shrugs.

“The cool wings and tails? Also we have fantastic benefits and an excellent employee satisfaction rate.”

“Alright, so if Hell is a business, then what jobs do you do exactly?”

“Well, most of what we do is balance out the good in the world with the less good. We don’t do big, terrible things, those happen on their own.  Small inconveniences however, when you lose your keys for the third time in a week, when you trip in front of a large group of people, when the traffic is backed up for no apparent reason? Those are all us. If we didn’t cause all those little frustrations in life, then people back on earth would be overwhelmed with only good things. And there’s a reason that humanity came up with the saying ‘too much of a good thing’.”

Harrison leans back in his chair as he attempts to process all of this. He thought he knew what he was getting into, but now he’s not so sure anymore.

“Any more questions?”

Harrison turns his gaze back to the annoying demon in front of him.

“No.”

“Excellent. I’ll show you around and then I can get some sleep. This has been a particularly trying day.”

-to be continued-

#writing #writblr #writers #story #short story #fiction #fiction stories #writing prompt #demon #demons #fantasy #fantasy story #hell #hell is lovely this time of year #idiots in charge of hell #continuing story #part 4 #things are going to get interesting very soon #deal with the devil

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One Hell of a Job

-Part 3-

Harrison takes an instinctive step backwards away from what he assumes will be the burning heat of a thousand fires. After all, Hell has forever been portrayed in art and verse as a sulphurous pit of blood and flames. A moment or two passes and when he feels nothing more than a slightly cool breeze, he dares open his eyes just a crack. There’s no fire and brimstone, no scent of sulphur in the air, no tortured screams. Just…nicely tiled floors? He opens his eyes further. Outside of the door is what could easily be mistaken for the lobby of any office building one could walk into downtown, complete with potted plants, an information desk and monochromatic color scheme.

“I don’t exactly want to stand around in doorways all day, so are you coming? Or am I going to have to drag you out.?”

Zalgren is leaning against the door frame with a bored look. Choosing to ignore the incredibly aggravating demon, Harrison takes a cautious step out into the lobby. He half expects it all to be an illusion, but nothing changes, save the people in suits milling about all stop what they’re doing to stare. Actually, people is the wrong word. Harrison notices at this moment that everyone in the lobby has horns, wings and tails in a variety of colors.

“Alright everyone, back to whatever you were doing. If you want to stare at the new boss, book an appointment.”

Zalgren grabs the others arm once again and walks him quickly through the lobby, ignoring the curious looks and whispers, and into the elevator at the other end. Once the doors close and the button for floor 666 is pressed, the older demon finally relaxes slightly.

“At least this whole thing is finally over. All I need to do now is drop you off and you’re out of my hair for the rest of eternity. I’d say I’ll miss you, but…”

“Well I can’t wait to be rid of you either. I can’t imagine a more effective eternal punishment than having to spend time with you.”

The elevator dings and the doors open on what appears to be a normal office with a glass front and a desk outside at which a female demon is typing something on the computer.

“Sorry, we’re currently experiencing a change in management so if you could come back later…”

She looks up and her eyes widen.

“Zalgren! It’s been forever since I last saw you! Is this…?

“The biggest idiot I’ve ever met? Someone I can’t wait to be rid of?”

“Um…”

“Oh, yes. He’s the new boss.”

She looks between the two of them awkwardly.

“Well…welcome to Hell Mister…?”

“Call me Harrison.”

“Harrison. I’m Tazronath, and I’ll be your secretary.”

Harrison looks at her confused.

“Secretary? I thought I was supposed to be your king or something.”

Zalgren makes a scoffing sound and rolls his eyes.

“Technically yes, but we’ve modernized. Can you imagine someone like you with unlimited power?”

“Hey! I would be well qualified. After all I have a degree-“

“-In business. I know. Can we just get this over with? I want to get back to my office. Where it’s quiet.”

Poor Tazronath doesn’t quite seem to know what to do with the two demons in front of her so she grabs a stack of papers from her desk drawer and hands them to Harrison along with a blood-red fountain pen.

“So if you could just fill these out for me, we’ll get you all set up.”

Harrison takes the pens and papers and starts scribbling initials where indicated. The last line gives him slight pause though.

Devil’s guide

*note that this is not a required section and The Devil may choose whether to give a name or not.

Please (if applicable) print name of Demon guide:

Harrison shrugs and writes Zalgren’s name (the way he assumes it must be spelt) in the space provided. He wouldn’t really call him a “guide”, but he did bring him here so that must be it. Besides maybe this way someone higher up can speak to him about his terrible costumer service. He signs his own name with a final flourish and hands the papers back to the secretary. She flicks through quickly before stopping.

“Did I miss a space?”

She shakes her head.

“No, it’s just…it’s been awhile since someone filled out the guide section. Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Of course.”

She looks unconvinced but take the papers over to the desk and waves a hand over a small indent in the surface. Instantly flames leap up and she places the papers in the fire.

“Well that’s it then. You are officially the Devil.”

Zalgren looks pleased.

“Well, I’ll be off then. Hopefully we won’t cross paths again any time soon.”

He makes it almost to the elevator doors before he seems to be stopped by some invisible barrier.

“What is happening?!”

Tazronath seems confused.

“I thought you knew, Harrison named you as his guide. You’ve just been promoted to the Devil’s Supreme Advisor.”

“I did what?!”

“He did what?!”

-to be continued-

#short story #writeblr #written #writing #fantasy #fantasy story #fiction #fiction story #demon #demons #idiots in charge of hell #writting prompt #part 3 #writing prompt #hell #author #hell is lovely this time of year

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I’m glad my weird thoughts are an endless source of amusement.

My friend woke up at 3 am last night to write down " fez with but legs and wings. Instead of a pheasant it's a fezant." And promptly went back to sleep.

So voilà. Please enjoy a pheasant.

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One Hell of a Job

-Part 2-

“What did you just call me?!”

The newly formed demon struggles to his feet. His red wings arched in a feeble attempt at intimidation that would have been much more effective had the motion not nearly cost him his balance.  

“The ruler of hell, obviously. You should really work on your listening skills.”

“That’s impossible. I killed the Devil, there shouldn’t even be a hell anymore.”

Once again Zalgren wishes that he had never taken a job in customer relations. Honestly, the more humans learn to talk, the more they lose the ability to listen.

“Like I told you, the universe requires balance. There has always been a Devil, and there must always be one. Did you think you were the first to come up with the oh sobrilliantidea of killing Him?”

Some degree of understanding begins to dawn in Harrison’s eyes. Then, as in almost every deal where the person realizes they have made a grave mistake, the protesting begins.

“You lied!”

“No I didn’t.”

“Well you certainly kept things from me!”

“That’s more or less part of the job description. Demon, remember?”

The way Harrison’s face turns red in anger as he is rendered speechless might just make up for how much he’s annoying Zalgren right now.

“But…but a human can’t rule hell!”

“Well then I guess we’re lucky you’re no longer human.”

Harrison turns to catch a glimpse of his new form in the polished side of his car.  The shock reads clearly on his face as he stares at his reflection, over his shoulder to the wings and tail, and back to the car. Trembling hands slowly reach up to trace the curling spiral of his horns.

“What have you done to me?”

He asks in a hoarse whisper.

“I didn’t do anything, this is all on you. Now can we go? I hate spending this much time on earth.”

“Go? Go where?”

“Hell obviously. Have you always been short a couple of brain cells, or is that a new development?”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, you sulphur-scented fiend!”

Zalgren chooses to ignore that last statement, walking calmly over the man who just became his new boss, dodging a wing aimed at his head and grabs the other’s arm firmly.

“Well I’m not giving you much of a choice.”

Everything around the pair goes pitch black. The kind of darkness where you can’t even see your hand right in front of your face. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished and they found themselves standing in a simple white room with a sliding door in the middle of the wall.

Harrison turns in a circle, trying to figure out how they got from that highway to whatever this place is.

“Where the hell are we?!”

Zalgren smirks.

“I think you answered your own question. Welcome to Hell.”

He gestures at the door and it slowly slides open.

-To be continued-

#writing #short story #writing prompt #ficton #fantasy story #demons #fantasy #writers #writeblr #idiots in charge of hell #written #story #deal with the devil #part 2

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Based on a writing prompt: a deal with the devil

One Hell of a Job

-Part 1-

“I’m sorry, you want WHAT now?”

The low-level demon is mostly frozen in disbelief, except for the twitching of a recently appeared spiky black tail and minute grasping motions of slightly sharper than normal nails, as though he wished human stupidity was something that could be plucked out of the air and ground underfoot. The obnoxious, overconfident, self-important…something of a human being has the audacity to roll his eyes and use a slow, babyish voice that seems to imply that the infernal being in front of him is an idiot.

“I want to kill the Devil.”

“The Devil, as in THE DEVIL?”

Another eye roll. The twitching of the tail becomes a touch more frantic.

“Look, I’m not sure you know exactly what you’re asking…”

“Zazlen, or what ever your name is-“

“-Zalgren.”

“So long as you’re trapped here,” he made a sweeping gesture to the circle of runes scratched into a sandy patch of ground at the crossroads of this empty stretch of highway, “you do what I say. I give up my soul and in return the Devil dies, evil disappears and the entire world will thank me.”

Compelled by the power of the summoning circle, Zalgren snaps up a contract and a shard of obsidian. Still, he tries once more to discourage what is about to occur.

“If you kill the Devil then-“

“Silence hell-spawn!”

The fool of a human snatches the contract, slices a finger open with the obsidian shard and scratches his name, Harrison, on the line. Instantly, the contract bursts into deep-red flames, prompting the man to drop it in shock. The flames quickly consume the paper and then spread to the summoning circle, burning in the shape of ancient symbols before fading and leaving the ground unmarked. All that remains of the contract is a pile of ash with a dull silver glint in the center. Zalgren stretches and makes his way over to the human who is staring confused at the pile of ash.

“Are you going to pick it up?”

Harrison reaches into the ash with a look of distain, plucking out the faded silver amulet and holding it as far as possible from his dry-clean only suit.

“What is this…thing?”

The demon takes a few steps back before answering. Like any citizen of hell, he has first-hand experience with what happens next.

“It’s a receipt of sorts. Not that this contract is refundable though.”

“Then why would I need a-“

The rest of his sentence is cut off by a sharp scream of pain. The man is doubled over in agony. Like a time-lapse of sprouting plants, dark red horns spiral from the human’s forehead as a tail in the same color lengthens behind him and thrashes in distress. Huge bat-like wings burst into existence above him, a six-foot span at least with streaks of black amid the red. Finally the amulet adheres itself to the center of his chest and as soon as the transformation began, it’s done. Zalgren walks in a circle around the new demon nodding in satisfaction. Harrison lifts his head weakly to stare at him and speaks in a voice that’s hoarse from screaming.

“What…..what just happened?”

“I did try to warn you. You see, the universe is built on balance, too much of one thing and everything falls apart. There’s no sound without silence, no light without the dark, no good without evil. If you tip the scales too far one way, then the universe will make things right again.”

The former human has regained enough strength at this point to fix the demon in front of him with a glare.

“I have a degree in business, not philosophy. Talk sense!”

Two-hundred years doing this job and the ignorance of humans has yet to cease astounding Zalgren.

“To put it in simple terms, the universe compensating for you killing the Devil by naming you his successor. Congratulations, you’re the new ruler of hell.”

-To be continued-

#short story #writing #writing prompt #writers #written #writeblr #demon #demons #daemon #fantasy #idiots in charge of hell #deal with the devil #fantasy story #fiction #part 1

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Let’s give this posting thing a try. October makes my writing take a spooky turn, so I’m going to be posting some Halloween poems.

#poetry #spooky #writers #writeblr #written #writing #halloween #all hallows eve #poem #poets #october