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    Volatile Figments
    Volatile Figments
    Volatile Figments
    Ebook87 pages1 hour

    Volatile Figments

    By Dawn Vogel

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    About this ebook

    Dani finds the new director in her college theater department more than a little unnerving, but she has barely scratched the surface on just how weird things are about to get. Lucy just wanted a date for homecoming, not the heaps of trouble her wish cookie has stirred up in her high school. Unable to find the inspiration for a performance for her dance troupe, Mia calls upon a muse and gets far more than she bargained for. Mikayla feels bad about having drifted away from her BFF Ashley, but Ashley's new lifestyle may be more than Mikayla can handle. Julia doesn't know how she came to be bound to a painting in a hotel, but she's about to find out how to break the curse. And Seattle homicide detective Moira O'Connelly has more than a suspicion that a recent arson is tied to an orphanage fire years ago. But how the young psychic who calls herself Cassie is connected is not what she was expecting to find.

    The supernatural abounds in this collection of six dark contemporary fantasy short stories by author Dawn Vogel. Stories staring teenage witches and ageless childlike ghosts sit side by side with those featuring normal women confronting eldritch gods, muses, ghouls, and mad scientists. Everyone's got problems, and these characters are dealing with more than their fair share!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDefCon One Publishing
    Release dateOct 10, 2017
    ISBN9781370098163
    Volatile Figments
    Author

    Dawn Vogel

    Dawn Vogel has been published as a short fiction author and an editor of both fiction and non-fiction. Her academic background is in history, so it’s not surprising that much of her fiction is set in earlier times. By day, she edits reports for historians and archaeologists. In her alleged spare time, she runs a craft business, helps edit Mad Scientist Journal, and tries to find time for writing. She lives in Seattle with her awesome husband (and fellow author), Jeremy Zimmerman, and their herd of cats.

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      Book preview

      Volatile Figments - Dawn Vogel

      Volatile Figments

      By Dawn Vogel

      Copyright 2017 Dawn Vogel, except where noted

      Smashwords Edition

      historythatneverwas.com

      patreon.com/historythatneverwas

      Miasma, Terpsichore, and One for Every Year are copyright 2015

      Spirit Week, After School Special, and Justice is Blind are copyright 2017

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

      Acknowledgments

      This book would not exist if not for Monsterhearts.

      Table of Contents

      Miasma

      Spirit Week

      Terpsichore

      After School Special

      One for Every Year

      Justice is Blind

      About Dawn Vogel

      Miasma

      The smell of the hospital clung to Dani, even half an hour after she had left. Acrid antiseptic mingled with the sickly sweet odor of decay that hung around the cancer ward like a guest who had overstayed his welcome. Despite the winter chill, Dani rolled down the driver's side window, welcoming the fresh blast of clean air that forced its way into her lungs. She parked the car, breathed deeply, and began to relax. Spending six hours with a dying woman, even one who spent much of her time sleeping, tied Dani's entire body into a knot.

      A movement outside the car caught Dani's attention. She peered into the darkness of the campus parking lot, vacant except for the small cluster of cars near the theater building. The door to the practice space was open, a golden rectangle radiating across the pavement. The only other illumination came from the flickering lights on the parking lot, two-thirds of which were burnt out.

      Reading one of Lucas's horror comics while at the hospital had probably not been the best choice before waiting in a dark parking lot for him to finish play practice. It was just the wind in the trees. She forced a smile, but still rolled up the window and retrieved her cell phone from the cup holder to see if Lucas had responded to her texts.

      As the phone's screen lit up, Dani saw another quick movement, and looked up in time to see a figure in a light colored hooded robe running toward her.

      Jesus H! she squawked, dropping her phone. She jabbed at the power lock button repeatedly, even after hearing the locks engage. The rectangle of light on the floorboards of the car told her that her phone was there, but she froze, staring at the robed figure, who had stopped about a car length away. The robe was tattered and grimy, even in the parking lot lights. Dani couldn't see the face of the person wearing it, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose.

      A long moment passed, and then the figure raised its hands and pulled back the hood. Hey, Dani! Karl shouted. What are you doing out here?

      Dani shook her head. She reached down to retrieve her phone, and then climbed out of the car. What the hell, Karl? What are you doing?

      Oh, uh. He looked around, confusion evident on his face. This is my costume. There's a scene where I've gotta run from one side of the stage to the other, so I was making sure that it's got enough leg room for running.

      And so you ran out into the creepiest parking lot on campus? You nearly gave me a heart attack.

      Sorry. But why are you out here? It's cold!

      Dani sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Karl was a fantastic actor, but he had a few habits that caused the loss of more brain cells than he could really spare. I'm here to pick up Lucas.

      Oh, right. Karl jerked his head toward the open theater door. He's inside.

      I know.

      Karl opened his mouth, but said nothing at first. Then he frowned. You should come in.

      Dani nodded. Yeah, okay. Wasn't planning on it, but I may as well now that I'm scared out of my mind.

      Hey, you're not in any shows right now, are you?

      No, I haven't had much time. She reached back into the car to grab her backpack.

      Ed's still casting this one.

      She straightened back up. Ed? Who's Ed?

      New director. I guess he's an adjunct or something. When Marcie went on bed rest, they brought him in to put together something for the end of the semester show.

      Dani frowned. It was odd that she hadn't heard any of the theater department scuttlebutt. But then again, she hadn't exactly been a great conversationalist over the past few weeks. In fact, she was fairly certain that her conversation with Karl was in the running for the longest she had had in the past month that wasn't with a medical professional.

      What's the show? she asked.

      Le Roi au Masque d'Or.

      He's doing a French play for the winter show?

      Before Karl responded, Dani stepped into the theater building and felt the blast of warmth from the space heater near the door. The stench of burnt dust masked the normal mildew smell of the theater. Lucas was on stage, a cheap plastic crown on his head at a rakish angle, over his mass of shaggy black hair. Opposite him stood Heather, wearing a similar crown, but with more dignity. A few other students sat in the front row of seats, and a few rows behind them were two men, one familiar and the other not. The unfamiliar head shone in the dim lights of the practice space, with not even a wisp of hair to cut the glare.

      It's not French, just a French name, Karl said. He had lowered his voice, but it was loud enough that the other man, the familiar one, turned and looked straight at Dani. I'm sorry, D. I should have told you that Thom is stage managing.

      Thom? Dani scoffed. You mean Tommy?

      He's insisting on being called Thom now. Karl

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