The Durquin Adventure

I'm trapped inside a rubber duck that's about to be swallowed by a giant shark.  Genre: Fantasy, Fable     Excerpt: How did I come to be in this predicament, you ask?  Good question. I'd like to know myself. But there's no time for that now. Because if that shark doesn't swallow me and Durquin—that's the duck—in the next three seconds, we'll both disappear into an abyss of bubbles for all eternity.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: The Durquin Adventure This episode landed on PROMPTS. The prompt? "Draw a rubber ducky in a bubble bath." Find more stories and episodes from the first year of Storyfeather here: Year of Prompts.   STILL IN THE MOOD FOR SPOOKS?Scaryfeather lives! My first creative challenge was inspired by 31 horror genre stories I've written. Those stories are linked on the challenge page, if you're in the mood to read: storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october   NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCESCome and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "The Durquin Adventure" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"Reinforcement" by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro)"Great Aunt Henrietta" by TRG Banks (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by TRG BANKS"Lake in the woods""Great Aunt Henrietta""Father Green""Goodbye Machineryhead""Smooth jacket""Cigar"   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music) "Hidden Threat""Casual Theme #3""Reinforcement""Epic Battle #3 (Looped)"   All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketMusic by TRG Banks is licensed under CC0 1.0 UniversalSound effects from AudioJungle, GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg)Vocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by TRG Banks at freemusicarchive.org/music/TRG_BanksFind more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. A rubber duck facing forward, offset left of center. The duck sits on a layer of bubbles. The duck's left flank is marked with the drawing of a chemical structure. Behind the duck tilted to the right thirty degrees, a shark with mouth open emerges from the water and bears down on the duck. Watermark of "Storyfeather" inside the shark's mouth.

A driver for a small interstellar cab company picks up a passenger, who keeps wanting to go to where she probably shouldn't go. Genre: Science Fiction   Excerpt: I had to talk her out of it. My passenger had asked me to take her to Wild Protomatter Park. Wild Protomatter Park? That place was originally marked a danger zone. Instant death for the lucky ones. Contamination and a slow painful death for the unlucky. No one knew why, but that area of space would burst with geysers of exotic particles.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: Strange Stellar Cab Ride This episode landed on MUSIC. This was one of the mystery spokes. I listened to a couple of Duran Duran tracks, "Planet Earth" and "The Chauffeur." And they inspired visions of a space cabbie in 80's garb, and also, radical space lizards. Previous Season 9 episodes on the theme of Music: Encounter With Ship 47 Nine Gods in Masquerade. Zone of Eternal Sleep   Find more music-inspired stories and episodes: Search term - MUSIC   STILL IN A SPOOKY MOOD?Scaryfeather lives! My first creative challenge was inspired by 31 horror genre stories I've written. Those stories are linked on the challenge page, if you're in the mood to read: storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october   NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCESCome and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "Strange Stellar Cab Ride" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"Drive With Me" by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro)"Fugue For One Synthetic Heart" by ANDREA BARONI (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by ANDREA BARONI (Cyberleaf)"Ground Control""Fugue For One Synthetic Heart"   Music by TAO & SOUND"80s Synth Ambient 01 C""Cry No More - (A) MELODY LOOP""Cry No More - (B) MELODY LOOP""Cyberjazz Nights - (A) DRUM & BASS LOOP""Noir Blvd - (A) DRUMS & BASS LOOP""80s Synth Ambient 02 E""I Never Gave Up - (A) MELODY LOOP""U Never Had To Exist - INTRO""U Never Had To Exist - (A) MELODY LOOP""U Never Had To Exist - (B) MELODY LOOP"   Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music) "Casual Arcade Track #1 (looped)""Motivation""Drive With Me""Prepare for Battle""Casual Arcade Track #2 (looped)"   All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market. Music by Tao & Sound, Andrea Baroni, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarketVocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Tao & Sound, Andrea Baroni, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. A smiling young woman stands in front of a taxicab, slightly leaning against the hood. Most of the bright orange cab is visible, seen at an angle from the front corner of the driver side. The words "Interstellar Taxi" are printed on the side. In place of a wheel is a thruster shaped like a dome with a flared bottom, and a glow of energy beneath. The woman has her right foot crossed over her left, her left arm across her waist, her right hand raised to her left shoulder, and her right elbow propped on her left hand. Her multicolored clothes of blue and pink match her hair, make-up, and shoes. Her yellow jacket matches her yellow scrunchie. She wears high-top sneakers, fingerless gloves, and layers of necklaces. A small blue lizard is perched on her right shoulder. A black lizard is just visible behind the blue. Above is an expanse of space with stars glowing in different colors. Watermark of "Storyfeather" over the text on the cab.

A nosy neighbor sees the unexpected when peeking through an open window, and ends up uncovering a rotten secret. Genre: Horror, Mystery Excerpt:The brain was human. I swept back into the living room and stepped toward the front door. I heard the squeak of Elise's shoes on the kitchen tile. I stopped and turned back around, my heart pounding.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: Brain in the Window This episode landed on PROMPTS. Find more stories and episodes from the first year of Storyfeather here: Year of Prompts.   SCARYFEATHER IS HERE!Write. Draft. Craft. Create!Or do you care to deviate?31 prompts over 31 days of October.Each prompt is inspired by one of my stories in the horror genre.(Hmm, per the story art, I seem to have some sort of eyeball fixation.) Visit the Challenge page for funsies. It won't bite. (Much.)storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october   NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCESCome and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "Brain in the Window" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"Hidden Fear" by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro)"A dead heart" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)  Music by JONATHAN SHAW"Midnight Creeping""Lingering Evil" Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music)"Story at Night""Mystical House""Scary Theme #5""Scary Theme #3""Scary Theme #4""Evil is Near""Hidden Fear" Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Eternal life""A dead heart"   All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects from AudioJungle, GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg)Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by Jonathan Shaw at jshaw.co.uk Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. A human brain in left profile, lying on a platter. Arranged around the brain are bunches of parsley, orange halves, fig halves, cranberries, and sage leaves. In the background, a fiery glow. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along outside of brain at right.

The bright blue eyes are watching, always watching. They are her eyes. But she's not in them.  Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Mythology   Excerpt:She wobbled closer and closer. She leaned down. I opened my mouth but my throat caught. And my lungs had no breath to give force to any sound. My sight dimmed at the margins. I saw only shadows. I felt hot, too hot. I closed my eyes.  I remembered something touching my forehead.  A soft pair of lips.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: The Lamplight Apparition This episode landed on CHALLENGE. I challenged myself to write a story that was spooky in specific way, a story that was unsettling. Find more stories and episodes from the first year of Storyfeather here: Year of Challenge.   SCARYFEATHER IS HERE!Write. Draft. Craft. Create!Or do you care to deviate?31 prompts over 31 days of October.Each prompt is inspired by one of my stories in the horror genre. (Hmm, per the story art, I seem to have some sort of eyeball fixation.)Visit the Challenge page for funsies. It won't bite. (Much.)storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october   NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCESCome and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "The Lamplight Apparition" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"Witches" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro)"Orbs" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Once""At night""Witches""Dark wonders""Orbs""Until dawn""The death of love""The 4th world" All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market. Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketVocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. A human-like figure facing forward with head tilted to the left. The figure is hazy and translucent except for the eyeballs, lips, heart and blood vessels leading from the neck to the heart. At upper left, a bright light extends to the shoulders and fades into black. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along right arm.

A young couple moves into their first house, knowing it is haunted by the ghost of a former owner, who seemingly died peacefully in her sleep... Genre: Mystery   Excerpts:The woman's gaze stayed on Marco. "Afraid of a little old lady, huh?" she said. "Typical." Ronnie must have known who he was looking at, but he still extended his hand. "I don't think we've had the pleasure, ma'am. I'm Ronnie. And this is my husband, Marco. We're moving in here today." "You gave me your names," the woman said, her gaze still on Marco. "Now I have power over you."   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: Alison Weirdly This episode landed on WILDCARD! I picked a random card from a game deck, and it was…ghostly.   SCARYFEATHER IS HERE!Write. Draft. Craft. Create!Or do you care to deviate?31 prompts over 31 days of October.Each prompt is inspired by one of my stories in the horror genre.(Hmm, per the story art, I seem to have some sort of eyeball fixation.) Visit the Challenge page for funsies. It won't bite. (Much.)storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october     NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCES (New)Come and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "Alison Weirdly" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"The ceremonial" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro)"Genetic marker" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Room 13""Cold case""Connecting dots""Genetic marker""Once upon a time""A crime vision""Possessed""Abyss""The ceremonial""Red moon""Trust me"   All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketVocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.  Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. At center, an older woman facing forward, from elbows up. Arms crossed, brow furrowed, one corner of mouth raised, head tilted to left (her right). She is in grayscale, except for her dark purple necklace and her glowing red-orange eyes. Surrounded by smoke or gray fog at waist level. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along outside of left arm.

Two people investigating the shadowy figures that haunt a mountain cross paths, just as one of them may have made a major discovery. Genre: Horror, Mythology   Excerpts:Don't look at them directly. Don't try to speak to them. And don't approach them. As long as those rules were followed, they were not dangerous.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: They Stand. They Watch. They Wait. This episode landed on CREATURES. Find more stories and episodes inspired by various creatures here: Year of Creatures.   SCARYFEATHER IS HERE!Write. Draft. Craft. Create!Or do you care to deviate?31 prompts over 31 days of October.Each prompt is inspired by one of my stories in the horror genre.(Hmm, per the story art, I seem to have some sort of eyeball fixation.) Visit the Challenge page for funsies. It won't bite. (Much.)storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october     NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCESCome and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.     MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "They Stand. They Watch. They Wait." Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music:"The mirror" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro)"Omen" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Omen""As if it comes""Above""Once""The mirror""Demon's cage""Sacrifice""Dread""Behind the door""I'm sorry""Darkest quest""A death embrace""Orbs" All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.  Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketChanges made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. The silhouette of a person facing forward stands at center with arms to the side. The eyes glow with the color of the sunny halo behind the figure's head and torso. The figure stands on ground cast in dark shadows. Scarce shrubbery at left. A bush or small tree at right. The sky is streaked with sunset colors. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along ground at right.

When a young woman's nightmares seem to be drawing her into the realm of death, her last hope may be someone who can do no more than observe and record her journey. Genre: Horror, Fantasy   Excerpts: "I have been waiting for you." They had first summoned doctors to her bedside, then clerics, supernaturalists, and finally even charlatans selling potions.  Only after all of that did they turn to me.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: A Dream Unto Death This episode landed on CREATURES. Find more stories and episodes inspired by various creatures here: Year of Creatures.   SCARYFEATHER IS HERE!Write. Draft. Craft. Create!Or do you care to deviate?31 prompts over 31 days of October.Each prompt is inspired by one of my stories in the horror genre.(Hmm, per the story art, I seem to have some sort of eyeball fixation.) Visit the Challenge page for funsies. It won't bite. (Much.) storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october   NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCES (New)Come and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.   MERCHInterested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "A Dream Unto Death" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"Dedale" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro and Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Broken keys""Experiment 7""At night""Dark echoes""Blood and bones""Dedale""Lullaby""Obscura""Well of souls""Hunters moon""Creatures of the night" All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketChanges made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. Sketch of a structure roughly shaped like a tree, made up of disproportionately sized animal bones. The trunk is an elephant leg. Curled horns sprout from the foot bones, labeled at right "horns of a markhor?" Human hand bones rise from trunk, fingers splayed out like tree branches. Extending from various branches are bones of cat tails and bat wings, one at right labeled "bat wings,"and skull bones penguins, one labeled at left "penguin skull." To left of the sketch is written in a calligraphic style: "25 October. Her dreams grow ever more frantic, ever more heinous. I have attempted a sketch based on the details gleaned from her latest nightmare." Watermark of "Storyfeather" at bottom right.

A huge pterosaur appears out of nowhere, sparking wild speculation about the creature's origin, and the meaning of its existence. Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy   Excerpt:When I first saw footage of it, I was scared of it. Scared of how small and fragile it made me feel in so many ways both conscious and subconscious. But I've gotten used to it now. I've watched close-ups of its eyes. I've watched it stretch its wings, shift around on its perch until it settled in position, glance over at other birds, and at people. I care about it now. It's part of this world, my world. I can't study it, or follow it, or speak to it. What can I do?   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: The Monstrous and the Curious This episode landed on CREATURES. Find more stories and episodes inspired by various creatures here: Year of Creatures.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCES (New)Come and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station. Something is coming in October… I've also started posting some tips on Pinterest: pinterest.com/storyfeather/   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "The Monstrous and the Curious" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"Connecting dots" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro)"Genetic marker" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"As it happenned""Genetic marker""Connecting dots""Cold case""Haunted""Between two worlds""Under the mask""Experiment 6" All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects Soundly (through Hindenburg)Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. A creature that appears in the shape of a pterosaur but with the coloring and long tail feathers of a blue-and-gold macaw. The creature is perched on a bare branch at left, facing right, in three-quarters view, wings extended forward. The wings are feathered. Vague outlines suggesting tree trunks and branches are visible behind the creature. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along branch at right.

Rising star of stage and screen, Victoria Lockhart, traded kindness for cruelty out of necessity, giving rise to strange manifestations of her psyche. Genre: Mystery, Horror Note of CAUTION: This episode contains depictions and descriptions of workplace abuse, specifically on a movie set. Please listen with care. Excerpt:...there was one bulb that had somehow managed not to break. It lay a corner. And Victoria used its light to see what she had done. Shadows and glass, everywhere. Victoria came to a conclusion. Anger was her road to strength and power.    The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: The Shadow of Victoria Lockhart This episode landed on one of the mystery spokes, DRAW. Here are other episodes inspired by DRAW: The Golden Ratio Theater Garden of the Peculiar   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCES (New)Come and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station. I've also started posting some tips on Pinterest: pinterest.com/storyfeather/   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "The Shadow of Victoria Lockhart" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"Whispers" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro)"Inspector" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Inspector""Killer escape""Unsolved""Evidence""In the shadows""The mirror""Whispers""Before the shadows"   Music by ALBERT FERNANDEZ (Potion Studio)"Mistery""Visiting Her Forest""Painful Memories"   All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.  Music by Albert Fernandez, Nicholas Jeudy, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects from AudioJungle, GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg)Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy, Albert Fernandez, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. Silhouette of a figure in a dress with bell sleeves and a hoop skirt, holding up a parasol in the right hand, with a gauzy veil flowing to the right. Bright light shines from above and behind the figure. Extending below the figure is her shadow. Leafy, bushy foliage frames the top half of the image, extending down either side of the frame into dark shadowy patches in the foreground and hazy patches in the background. The image appears to be right side up, but would still be so if it were flipped vertically.

A professor at a small college has gone missing. His typically cluttered desk is found completely bare, drawers empty, except for a letter addressed to someone he's never met before. Genre: Mystery, Mythology   Excerpt:I gazed down at the blank page. Maybe the detective was right and further tests would reveal something, a message only visible by a specific wavelength of light or some chemical. That still didn't make sense to me. It had to be simpler than that. A goofy thought occurred to me. Maybe it was the old lemon juice trick. I plucked out the first of the three pages, and held it up to the overhead lights.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: The Desk of Professor West This episode landed on PROMPTS. Find more stories and episodes inspired by definitions here: Year of Prompts.   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE     NEWSLETTERSStoryfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create) Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCES (New)Come and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station. I've also started posting some tips on Pinterest: pinterest.com/storyfeather/   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "The Desk of Professor West" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel   Music:"It's A Mystery" by LEE ROSEVERE (Intro)"Smoke" by RAFAEL ARCHANGEL (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by RAFAEL ARCHANGEL"Smoke""Forgotten""Thinking""Rising Danger""Deep Dive""So Cold"   Music by LEE ROSEVERE"It's A Mystery""Not Alone""Heat Haze""Awkward Silences (version b)""All the Answers"   Tracks by Andrew Sitkov are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketMusic by Rafael Archangel is licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal Music by Lee Rosevere is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Sound effects from AudioJungle, GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg)Vocal effects created with Audacity Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by Rafael Archangel at https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rafael_Archangel/ Find more music by Lee Rosevere at freemusicarchive.org/music/lee-rosevere and leerosevere.bandcamp.com Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description:Digital drawing. From above, a weathered antique desk, a tabletop and a hutch with a central cabinet, various slots, a dome top, and drawers, one of which, at left, is open and empty. The whole desk and hutch appear empty except for a wax-sealed envelope lying on the tabletop. Just above the open drawer, a glowing pink butterfly in midflight seen, trailing afterimages. A hand emerges from right of frame, holding the blade of what appears to be a dagger with a cross guard whose ends curl down and a handle resembling a spiral horn. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along tabletop at bottom left.