An Extract from A Collection of Death and the Undead - Sheiman's Jungle

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  Not everything goes bump in the night. Some glide sorrowfully through castle halls and others stalk the dark, looking for prey. From monsters who died long ago and still walk our world, to creatures who herald death, to those mourning the loss of a king, or grieving a loved one, the short pieces in this collection are themed around death, loss and the undead.

NOTE: This collection draws together short pieces from the flash fiction and poetry collections in this series, but includes a number of short stories that can only be found within its covers.

Released on October 5, 2022, A Collection of Death and the Undead is the eleventh title in the C.M.'s Collections series. Links to the collection can be found at: https://books2read.com/u/47gVYg.

Sheiman's Jungle

From the creeper-hung tree-line, she comes, a dancing sylph luminescent in the storm-light. We do not see her at first, but then Raoul taps me on the arm, points, keeping his hands low all the while, careful she should not see.

I had heard of such creatures, beasts of great beauty, taking on the form of those they thought to seduce, but not in the way most think. We watch her circle the edge of our camp, using the glass of our wine bottle to keep her in view as she passes behind us. When bottle glass and the sound of her steps show she is close, we stand, turning to face her.

“Would you care to join us?” I ask, indicating the camp chairs, the self-contained stove, left-over stew simmering in the pot. “We have enough.”

Her refusal is slightly off.

“No. Thank you. You have already eaten.”

I do not know what to say to that. It is true. We have already eaten.

...

Similar stories to this can be found in other volumes of C.M.'s Collections and the reading list can be found here on Books2Read at: https://books2read.com/rl/Gw8Oaz, while links to A Collection of Death & the Undead can be found on Books2Read at: https://books2read.com/u/47gVYg

  



Cover art is by Jake at JCaleb Design, and links to A Collection of Death & the Undead can be found on Books2Read at: https://books2read.com/u/47gVYg. 

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