Central Skagit Library District

"Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most: a chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong. Samahtitamahenele--Sam--is...

Ten creepy, scary dark fantasy short stories that will turn you blood to ice.The hour is getting late. A fire crackles and pops and the group huddles together closer to the fire, basking in the comfort of its warmth and light. The s'mores are a pleasant memory.Somewhere off in the distance an owl hoots. Crickets are chirping and the eerie howl of the coyote punctuates the symphony of night sounds.It is time for spooky campfire stories. You know, the...

The old man had treasures to sell and a scary secret to keep. This collection of eleven short occult stories tells his tale of bloodcurdling horror.Ten people buy treasures from the flea market with one common thread. The vendor is a mysterious old man selling off his collection of old stuff. This short story collection chronicles the nightmare of the buyers endured.One by one, the buyers discover that their treasure is really a horror in disguise....

When Mike Jolson loses his wife to a drunk driver, he's devastated by her loss. When the driver gets away with it, his rage attracts the attention of powerful mystical beings. He makes a deal with forces he doesn't fully comprehend, and, in exchange for his revenge, becomes their servant in the mortal world.Mike can't remember what happens while he does their bidding, and loses chunks of time, forcing him to work alone in his home rehabbing business....

The Monster Defense Agency demands loyalty, and once you become an agent, the only way out is in a body bag. When Sarah Stone and Robby Young train together at the agency's academy, sparks fly. And when they are paired as partners, they must muzzle their attraction, or they will face a firing squad. All their pent-up frustration sharpens them into finely tuned monster hunters. Their ability to neutralize entire nests of vampires becomes the stuff...

Easter is right around the corner. Hope and the children of her church are putting on a play. She is surprised to find that she lands the leading role of Marigold the lamb. The demon of lies tries to befriend Hope only to find that she's not so easily swayed to her ways. Meanwhile, Lucifer is having traumatic memories about this time of year. Vladimir, surprisingly may not be able to help Hope when the demon of lies gets her ejected from the production,...

This story unfolds in three parts: PART ONE: ORIGIN OF HOW THE ANNOYING BECAME A SUPERVILLAIN PART TWO: INTENSE SUSPENSE AND CONFLICT PART THREE: SATISFYING ENDING

Always at a distance, he lurked, waiting.The stalker would marry her. He would consummate that marriage with blood. To kill her was better than letting that other one have her.

NIGHTMARE is a digital horror and dark fantasy magazine. In NIGHTMARE's pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror. Welcome to issue #136 of NIGHTMARE! We have original short fiction from George Sandison ("The Cut Cares Not for the Flesh") and H.B. Menendez ("Preamble to the Death of a Small God"). Our Horror Lab originals include a flash story ("First Girls") from...

As a child, Ellis Irvine was kidnapped from his bedroom and taken to a camp of unforgettable horrors. Ten years later, the prince of Tealwaters is no longer a boy but a man with a dark and traumatic past. When fate brings him face to face with Violet Danes, the very girl who once kept his hope alive, he can't seem to stay away. Violet Danes has many scars, having been the victim of experiments involving dark and dangerous magic. But one scar remains-the...