It was not an unreasonable assumption. He’d been on the island for ninety days now, give or take. He hadn’t kept track at first, his arrival a blur of heat and pounding headaches and denial. It was like he’d left his body and was watching someone else perform one series of grim tasks after another.
Plus, the creature he’d just glimpsed had resembled Jenna. For a second, he’d thought it was Jenna, her copper-bright hair distinct against the blue sea, only about twenty yards off the south side of the island. He’d almost called out to her, but then she’d arched her body in a dolphin dive and he could see where the fair skin graded into silvery scales. He’d watched as she’d disappeared beneath the surface, astonished at the length of her fishy lower body.
He kept the binoculars trained on the reef. A few minutes later, the mermaid emerged again in the shallows, foraging among the sponges and polyps. Her movements reminded him of a deer hovering at the edge of a clearing, nosing around in the clover. The mermaid scooped something out of the water into her mouth. It was too small for him to make out what it was. Her hand had pale, almost translucent webbing between the fingers.
She was there for less than ten minutes. When she finished grazing, she turned and glided back out into the open water. Again, she dove. This time, she did not resurface.
Stunned, he lowered the binoculars. “Whoo, boy, Jenna,” he muttered. “You’re not gonna believe this.”
Happy early Halloween to all!
Screaming Intensifies is fifteen strange and
fantastic tales: A man stranded on a deserted island is menaced by a mermaid. A
seemingly idyllic Midwest farm is situated on the edge of a forest where
strange creatures dwell. A sin eater attempts to help a man on death row.
Demons, ghouls, weird west settings, fairy tale retellings, a horse-headed
lady, and more dark imaginings haunt these pages. More details to come.
It was not an
unreasonable assumption. He’d been on the island for ninety days now, give or
take. He hadn’t kept track at first, his arrival a blur of heat and pounding
headaches and denial. It was like he’d left his body and was watching someone
else perform one series of grim tasks after another.
Plus, the creature
he’d just glimpsed had resembled Jenna. For a second, he’d thought it was Jenna,
her copper-bright hair distinct against the blue sea, only about twenty yards
off the south side of the island. He’d almost called out to her, but then she’d
arched her body in a dolphin dive and he could see where the fair skin graded
into silvery scales. He’d watched as she’d disappeared beneath the surface,
astonished at the length of her fishy lower body.
He kept the
binoculars trained on the reef. A few minutes later, the mermaid emerged again
in the shallows, foraging among the sponges and polyps. Her movements reminded
him of a deer hovering at the edge of a clearing, nosing around in the clover. The
mermaid scooped something out of the water into her mouth. It was too small for
him to make out what it was. Her hand had pale, almost translucent webbing
between the fingers.
She was there for
less than ten minutes. When she finished grazing, she turned and glided back
out into the open water. Again, she dove. This time, she did not resurface.
Stunned, he
lowered the binoculars. “Whoo, boy, Jenna,” he muttered. “You’re not gonna
believe this.”
NOMINATION
I am pleased to share that my poem, “Knowing You,” was nominated for a Pushcart by Gnashing Teeth Publishing. Thank you to Karen Cline-Tardiff for this honor. Not a bad way to close out the year!
2023 ROUNDUP
This year, 38 of my pieces appeared in 18 publications, including short stories and poems. (A few of the covers are included in the above collage.) I was a featured storyteller for the May 2023 Truth in Comedy event in Kansas City, MO. Additionally, I published four books, including:
I had work nominated for two Best of the Nets, a Pushcart, and a Rhysling Award. I continue to serve as an editor at Gleam, and wrote blurbs for each imaginary arrow (Scott Ferry) and The Very Special Dead (Christian Livermore). If you haven't read those books, I can't recommend them enough.
I’ve had years where I’ve had more publications, but then, this is the first
time I’ve published four books in a year, so sometimes success is kinda hard to
quantify. Publishing four books meant a pretty hard marketing push with readings,
podcasts, and events. Otherwise, 2023 was a soft hiatus for me. For the first time
in recent memory, I did not write every day. In fact, I barely wrote at all. Besides
health problems, my husband and I purchased a house, which has needed a lot of
time and attention. But most of all, I was burned out. Submitting and publishing
can be an absolute grind, and I was just all out of spoons and all out fucks. I’m
just now trying to get back into a writing routine, and trying to find a better
work-life balance. To all who have supported me, this year and every other, you
have my sincerest gratitude.
OTHER NEWS
I am now on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/laurenscharhag.bsky.social
I just got the invite code on December 22, so I still haven't really figured it out yet, but I hope to get proficient soon, and get off the sinking ship that is the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season, and wishing you all the best for '24!
