Far Fetched Fables No. 73 Laird Barron

Story: “Blood and Stardust” by Laird Barron

Three years later, as I hike my skirt to urinate in a dark alley in the slums of Kolkata, my arms are grasped from behind. The Doctor whispers, “So, we meet again.” His face was ruined in the explosion — its severe, patrician mold is melted and crudely reformed as if an idiot child had gotten his or her stubby fingers on God’s modeling clay. I can’t see it from my disadvantaged perspective, but that’s not necessary. I’ve been following him and Pelt around since our original falling out.

Speaking of the Devil… Pelt slips from the shadows and drives his favorite dirk, first through my belly, then, after he smirks at the blood splattering onto our shoes, my heart. He grins as he twists the blade like he’s winding a watch.

“— and this time the advantage is mine.” I laugh with pure malice, and die.

Laird Barron is the author of several books, including The Croning, Occultation, and The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All. His work has also appeared in many magazines and anthologies. An expatriate Alaskan, Barron currently resides in upstate New York. His limited edition reprint collection A Little Brown Book of Burials is currently available from Borderlands Press.

You can find him online at lairdbarron.wordpress.com.

About the Narrator:

Nikolle Doolin is a writer and a voice actor. Her fiction, poetry, and plays have been published and presented; and her voice has appeared in various media. Nikolle has performed numerous narrations for a number of popular and award-winning podcasts, such as The NoSleep Podcast, Tales to Terrify, and Far-Fetched Fables. She also narrates classic literature by the likes of Austen, Poe, James, and more in her own podcast Audio Literature Odyssey.

To learn more about Nikolle, visit her website at nikolledoolin.com.

Featured Artist

Jason Rainville is a freelance Fantasy and Scifi illustrator living in Ontario, Canada. He works in the tabletop/card game industry for small and large publishers such as Rite Publishing, Paizo Publishing, and Wizards of the Coast. If you want to view Jason’s work, purchase prints or have your Magic Cards/prints signed, you can visit his website; http://www.jasonrainville.com/ You can see more art and updates from Jason if you follow him on Facebook or Twitter – https://www.facebook.com/Rhineville https://twitter.com/rhineville

This piece is called Lyssa, which is one of five winners of the ArtOrder Evolution Challenge.

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