Tagged: Drabble

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 12-22-24

Greetings, children of the dark. The darkest of the dark times are upon us; as you read this, you may well be waking up from the longest night of the year. And while that means for the next six months we can look forward to the light returning, it doesn’t mean any changes here at TWF Towers. We will always seek the darker side of life, so come, bring us your tales of pesky pixies, harrowing hauntings, creepy cryptids, and really anything else that fits the theme of speculative fiction in the dark. Yes, we’ll be opening up to short story submissions again at the beginning of January – and yes, I know we are running massively behind on getting back to those who have submitted short stories over the last two windows. I plan on catching up big time over the festive break, and then we’ll just need to wait on the boss to have his say! Stay tuned; we should be with you soon.

For now, though, let’s dive into the second-to-last regular missive from TWF Towers for 2024. This week’s main course comes courtesy of trusted regular contributor DJ Tyrer, who delivers a bit of eco-horror that’ll get you looking twice at the tree that’s likely in your house right now. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • Brian Rosenberger’s viral lament,
  • Amelia Afrin’s close call, and
  • F.M. Scott’s remnants of past art.

And remember to keep an eye out for our spectacular Christmas special edition, coming your way imminently! Thanks to new specials editor Lynn for all her hard work on it, and on pulling together our VERY late 2023 TWF anthology. 

From me, to end, I wish you the very best of the season, however, wherever, and if you celebrate. Be kind to yourself as the year comes to a close. Tomorrow is a new day, and the light is returning.

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg

A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…

These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.

So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hey all!

Okay, I had a bit more breathing room this week and was able to make progress on the new site layout and I think I know what we’re doing with the newsletter layout. I did make a few changes to it this week, and we’ll see how it pans out as a temporary look into the final new layout is actually enabled. More on that soon!

With two recent acceptances under my belt, a co-author of a WIP novella that had been started pre-pandemic and tapered off early on reached out and reminded me we were working on it. So, with what little time I had over the past week, I re-did the outline and character bios and made a to-do list of things we haven’t figured out yet from our previous outline and the start of a draft. It may end up getting written after all! 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • Be sure to order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out and leave a review!

Offhand, if you’ve ordered Trembling With Fear Volume 6, we’d appreciate a review!

For those who are looking to connect with Horror Tree as we’re not really active on Twitter anymore, we’re also in BlueSky and Threads. *I* am also now on BlueSky and Threads.

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Unholy Trinity: The Thing in the Attic by Marcus Field

Our church worships at the altar of the Unholy Trinity. Its gospels are delivered as a trio of dark drabbles, linked so that Three become One. All hail the power of the Three.

 

The Daughter

 

Daddy says he killed it but he still locks the pulldown stairs. Mommy says it sleeps, dreaming of gobbling us up. Mommy’s mean when daddy’s drunk.

At night I hear the locks rattle. Something cries above my room. I think the attic must be cold and lonely in the winter. 

On Christmas Eve while daddy snores on the big chair I steal the key. I stand on a stepstool with a blanket and teddy bear. The locks fall away and the stairs come down.

Something in the darkness snuffs the air.

A shape lopes to the stairs.

Somewhere, mommy screams.

 

The Bride

 

It’s always there. A creak overhead. A scratch. A shifting shape behind the boarded up attic windows. From above, it follows my wife from room to room. My daughter thinks it’s a kitten, a puppy, or a lonely critter. My wife calls it Megory. When my wife was a little girl, it lived in her house and told her stories.

Once I beat Megory to death but it returned like a weed in a garden.

One Christmas Eve, I wake up to see my daughter disappear into the attic. 

Something in a wedding dress of shadows spills down the stairs.

 

The Bargain

 

“You’re comfortable with the history?”

“It’s a fair price. I do wish they were found.”

“Don’t we all?”

“They searched the whole house?”

“If they were here, we’d know.”

“And well, it’s a fair price. A house can have so many hiding places.”

“Indeed.”

“The police found the attic stairs down?

“Nothing there, of course.”

“Of course. And the basement?”

“No basement.”

“At least the daughter is fine. Poor thing. I noticed pest control across the street?”

“Rat problems in their attic, they think. You’ll want to trim back the trees but nothing to worry about.”

“It’s a fair price.”

 

 

Marcus Field

Marcus Field lives with his partner, son, and dog in Sacramento, CA, where he spends too much time doing math and not enough time writing.

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 12-15-24

Greetings, children of the dark. It’s been a big few weeks in my world and I am very much paying for it as I write this to you. I ran the most recent edition of my Writing the Occult series, all about Hauntology, at the end of November, and it feels like since then I’ve been playing catch-up while continuing to run around like a headless chook: social engagements (yes, UncannyCon was f***ing awesome!), running workshops, planning more events, and generally winding down at work for the end of year. I hit a wall this week and had to spend most of it (to date, at least) sitting on the couch watching angsty teen supernatural dramas. I’m almost done with the latest (Legacies, a previously-unknown-to-me spin-off from The Vampire Diaries), so do let me know your recommendations of which teen world I need to inhabit next! It’s funny, but I never realised these sorts of shows were my escape vehicle until this last week or so. I am not ashamed in the slightest. 

And so as we push forward with the final two weeks of 2024, we head into this week’s missive from TWF Towers. This week’s main course from Carl W. Townsend dips into the always-necessary well that warns of the dangers of unchecked technology. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • R H Williams’s after-school activities,
  • Maggie C Nolan’s end of time, and
  • S.K. Green’s hearing challenges.

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg

A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…

These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.

So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all.

What. A. Week. We’re still looking forward to a lot of changes, but this week has really been inching. Between some bad news that came in and being on a huge project this week at the day job, I’ve barely been able to keep the site running,g let alone work on our new site layout, TWF, or newsletter layout. There has been ‘some’ progress but not nearly as much as I’ve wanted. 

For my personal writing? More good news! That acceptance last week has been followed by a second this week! Just like before, more details will come when official announcements are made. Also, there are three open calls with stories that I never finished which could make great fits so, hopefully, I’ll have a few more submissions being sent out in the near future! 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • Be sure to order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out and leave a review!
  • Please be sure to follow us on both BlueSky and Threads

Offhand, if you’ve ordered Trembling With Fear Volume 6, we’d appreciate a review!

For those who are looking to connect with Horror Tree on places that aren’t Twitter, we’re also in BlueSky and Threads. *I* am also now on BlueSky and Threads. 

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 12-8-24

Greetings, children of the dark. As you read this (if you’re reading it pretty close to publishing time), I’m sitting in London’s Southbank Centre surrounded by paranormal enthusiasts. It’s time for UncannyCon, the now-annual gathering of the community that’s built up around the Uncanny podcasts. For those who haven’t had the pleasure yet, this is a BBC (i.e. state broadcaster) podcast offering that investigates paranormal cases from multiple sides, and features experts who try to explain what might or might not be happening – is it sleep paralysis or did you really see a ghost sitting on your bed, that kind of thing. I was slow to the uptake but have been obsessed with this thing for the last few years, and try to get to all its live events within reach of me whenever I can. I even got to fangirl over one of the resident experts, Evelyn Hollow, at my Writing the Occult: Hauntology event last weekend! (Gods, how I embarrassed myself in front of one of my heroes. So much shame.) 

Why am I saying this? Partly to boast, but also partly because it’s part of my denial that Christmas is coming and the end of the year looms large in the rear view mirror. On the former festive phenomenon, be aware that our Christmas special edition has now closed to submissions. The team is reviewing them all and you’ll hear from us soon. As to the other parts? Well, just a reminder of the sort of thing that tickles my fancy, I guess. I’m here for the dark and supernatural tales, not the gory crime ones. TWF has evolved over the years, after all! You’ll find our likes and dislikes over in the submissions guidelines, which I very much recommend you read if you want to submit to us because, my word, our inbox is looking very much like those guidelines are optional.

They are not.

Please note our open windows for short stories and specials (we are open year-round for all other sections). 

Note that you need to use our submission form at the bottom of that submissions page and fill in every part of it so that we know where to direct your submission – I’ve been accidentally putting some Christmas drabbles into the regular ol’ weekly edition pile and that limits your chances of getting picked once Christmas is over. 

Note that you need to upload your story in a MS Word document – don’t paste it into the form and send it to the general contact inbox. 

And make sure your story fits our needs! We’re not looking for true stories. This is a publication for dark speculative fiction. 

OK, so it’s the end of the year and I’m tired and grumpy, so let’s just move onto our weekly fare. This week’s main course from Cameron Walker has us confused and muttering in a hospital ward. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • Adam Hannah’s good dog,
  • Christina Nordlander’s lost time, and
  • Andrew Keyworth’s fairytale folly.

Over to you, Stuart.

_____


PS – speaking of my hauntology event, just wanted to pass on a massive congratulations to Adam S Leslie, whose weird folk horror novel Lost in the Garden has been shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards. Adam was one of the event guests, and we chatted about infusing your fiction with a hauntological atmosphere. Lost in the Garden definitely has that, and is one of my favourite reads of this year – go grab it if you haven’t already!

PPS – speaking of Writing the Occult, the next edition will focus on the uncanny, and we’ll gather on 18 January. Details to come! Pitch me an idea if you want to be one of the guests 😉

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg

A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…

These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.

So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all!

I’m not going to lie. With Thanksgiving last week, I didn’t get much done for the website. We did push forward slightly with TWF, but the new layout, which is a work in progress for the site, didn’t get attention at all. 

For my personal writing? That short story that was shortlisted last week has officially been accepted! More details will come when official announcements are made. 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • Please, order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out!
  • Be sure to follow us on both BlueSky and Threads!

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 12-1-24

Greetings, children of the dark. I’m in denial. I refuse to believe today is the 1st of December. This year cannot almost be over. I haven’t done anything! I’ve wallowed in the dark too much! What happened to all of those plans I made?!?! If you’re in the same position – and/or you’re still too full of Thanksgiving food to be able to move – let me invite you to escape into some darkly speculative fiction. 

If you fancy penning some of your own, our Christmas special is open for subs for about another week – make sure your story is absolutely, 100% verifiably tied to the season, please! Not just that it’s a bit cold. And we always, always need more drabbles – not seasonal, though those are welcome; just general dark drabbles always, please. Make them dark but also make them speculative: less of the true crime as we’re unlikely to accept those unless a supernatural beast did it. 

For now, though, it’s time for our weekly fare. This week’s main course is of the zombie insect variety, courtesy of Mike Scofield. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • Corinne Pollard’s scientific experiments,
  • John M’s string-pulling, and
  • P.D. McKone’s staring contest.

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg

A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…

These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.

So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all!

As I mentioned last week, we’re steadily working on our late-to-be-released Trembling With Fear Year 7. The cover has been selected, the compilation is in the works, and hopefully, we’ll have it out REAL SOON! (Note: I didn’t put a date in there.)  I’m also hoping to get back to the new layout soon as well. With it being the holiday season, everything has gone a bit nuts. Also, we’re talking through changes to the newsletter for formatting, visuals, etc. I know a few have had issues with its size, so we’re hoping to have that resolved shortly. 
Fingers crossed! 

On a personal note, I’ve recently had one short story shortlisted and was able to write another from scratch. Also, I’ve printed up a copy of my WIP novella to do some redlining edits before it goes off to an actual editor and/or a press if I’m really feeling feisty! 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • Please, order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out!
  • Be sure to follow us on both BlueSky and Threads!

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 11-24-24

Greetings, children of the dark. Some quick reminders and parish notices for you before we get stuck in:

  • Our Christmas special is open for subs for another few weeks – make sure your story is absolutely, 100% verifiably tied to the season, please! Not just that it’s a bit cold.
  • We are very much closed to our regular short story submissions. I don’t like returning things unread, but please help us to help you and only submit when we’re open. 
  • Thanks to those who’ve heeded our plea for more drabbles. I’m behind on the inbox because ~life~ but I’ll get through it hopefully this weekend (and hopefully actually find time to train our new assistant so you don’t have to wait on me anymore!)

For now, though, it’s time for our weekly fare. For this week’s main course we head to Grandma’s house with Philip T Bond. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • DJ Tyrer’s game time,
  • Kyle Smith-Laird’s relationship problems, and
  • Rebecca Krouse’s purple palace.

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg

A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…

These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.

So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all!

So, you may have noticed that we’ve gone silent on X over the past week. This decision was (surprisingly, if you know me) not political. They’ve finally started charging large-scale customers to use their APIs, and with how much our engagement has dropped there over the past two years, I just don’t have the time, energy, or motivation to search for an alternate way to auto-post to the platform. 

So, as always, we’re on all the other sites. 

Also, by the time you’ve read this, the cover for our delayed Trembling With Fear Year 7 should have been decided upon, and the next step is getting text on it. We’re getting there! Woohoo! 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • Please, order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out!
  • Be sure to follow us on both BlueSky and Threads!
 
 

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 11-17-24

Greetings, children of the dark. I’ve noticed the TWF mailbox is getting chockers with seasonal greetings, just as the streets of London are filling up with Christmas lights and trees and baubles. And I don’t like it. We’ve just had Halloween! Surely it can’t be that time already?!

Alas, it is. Which means yes, our Christmas special is open for subs for another few weeks. 

However, we are very much closed to our regular short story submissions until January. We’re still working through the backlog from the last window, and we have even more from the October one dragging down the pile to boot. We can’t possibly handle any more right now! But I fear that there is a submissions grinder somewhere that says we’re still open year-round, because there’s been an uptick in outside-the-window subs. I’d rather think that instead of thinking our dear dark brethren aren’t reading our submissions guidelines… I don’t like returning things unread, but please help us to help you and only submit when we’re open. 

Right now, our weekly edition is very much open to one thing only: the drabble cupboard is looking rather bare indeed! Please don’t let us think it’s a result of climate change or something… Heck, the world is a f***ing scary place now. Channel it into some dark fiction that’s only 100 words long and send it over. Please?

For now, though, it’s time for our weekly fare. This week’s main course takes us into realtor territory as Kahlo R.F. Smith shows us around an Open House with more than a little bit of history. That’s followed by the short, sharp (somewhat real-worldy this week!) speculations of:

  • Penny Brazier’s festive feast,
  • M. Brandon Robbins’s saving grace, and
  • Johanna B. Stumpf’s scholarly risk.

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg

A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…

These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.

So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all!

We’ve had an uptick in people asking about the font size in the newsletter. Apparently, increasing the amount is too small. I’ve been trying to troubleshoot in the last couple of newsletters and haven’t been making much progress. I reached out to Mailchimp this week, and they told me there was an issue with the template that we’re using (we’re using a really old template) and that we would need to create a new one.
So, I’m going to try to work my way through creating a new one in the coming month. This isn’t my area of expertise, so it may take a bit, but I promise you, this is in the works! 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • Please, order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out!
  • Be sure to follow us on both BlueSky and Threads!
 
 

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 11-10-24

Greetings, children of the dark. I just can’t with the news this week. It’s dark out there, really dark, and I implore you to keep each other safe.

And if it helps, maybe distract yourself with a bit of dark speculative fiction?

This week we have some juicy goodness to take your mind off things for a bit. Our main course is a twist on some total old-school 80s-style horror from Christopher Bustamante – teens, you definitely don’t want to go into that water. That’s followed by the short, sharp (and somewhat weird, this week!) speculations of:

  • Raul Garcia’s difficult path,
  • Rebecca Krouse’s dangerous road,
  • FM Scott’s cursed plumbing.

Until next week, stay safe out there. Look after your loved ones, especially the ones who aren’t cishet white men.

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“A Horror Short Story Collection by Josh Schlossberg

A hiker stumbles on a gruesome species undiscovered by science… An injury triggers an appalling new ability… A domestic pet holds a household in thrall… A human monster finally meets his match… Crimes against nature birth an abomination…

These and fifteen more tales make up WHERE THE SHADOWS ARE SHOWN, a short story collection by Josh Schlossberg (author of CHARWOOD and MALINAE), who guides you on a trek through the shadowy realms of biological and folk horror, supernatural and weird fiction.

So, lace up your boots, fill your water bottle, and put fresh batteries in the flashlight, because there’s not a chance in hell you’re getting back before dark.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all!

So, my current goals for Trembling With Fear? Work on getting our overdue yearly anthology to print and catch up on the submissions from our most recent open call! Also, as always, we’re getting low on drabble in case you’re interested in sending some in 🙂 

Now, for the standards:

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • Please, order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out!
  • Be sure to follow us on both BlueSky and Threads!
 
 

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

(more…)