The Birth of Barley-boy

The Birth of Barley-boy

T W G Fraser

T W G Fraser

A (black) comedy short story of rustic life, death and birth written far too soon after reading Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm.Who would know his skill for the magical arts until he tries them, or the skill and balance of a sword until he picks it up and weighs it in the hand? There are stories, tales, prophecies and legends in every nation, but not all these are true... Some will come to pass, some already have, and some are yet to be...But the future holds the key to what we will be, and so it was with this legend as well.Yet every legend needs a point to start, a knife edge to balance on until the moment is right and the forces at hand pivot the balance of the prophecy into realisation. What was the hardest day of one's life can often be the start of your own prophecy, your own future can then be decided by your own skills, your own talents for things unknown to you...
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The Carp Pond

The Carp Pond

T W G Fraser

T W G Fraser

An action adventure short story of a girl whose family is murdered whilst hiding out in a forest.A violin and three gold coins hold the key to solving a sixty-eight-year-old mystery. Hundreds of people have traveled to a small Southern town in America in hopes of proving the young man found dead in the city park in 1911 was their long lost relative. Or were they trying to make a claim on the gold the young man supposedly hid before his death? No one has been able to prove a verifiable link to the unidentified body, and the hidden gold has not been found.Sixty-eight years after the death, a young woman has traveled from England to set the record straight. Rebecca believes everyone had it all wrong. She has an interesting theory, but can she prove her version of what happened? She needs a little help from the one man in town who is the most skeptical of all, with good reason.A novelette, approximately 10,000 words.Included in this eBook is an additional 5000 word excerpt of Portrait of Conspiracy
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Bored

Bored

T W G Fraser

T W G Fraser

A murder mystery short story about a gruesome and distinctly messy murder in a retirement home.The world of the supernatural is a place of intense horror and blood-chilling danger. Dark, twisted monsters stalk among humanity from the shadows, seeking only to devour us. Seems like somebody should make some money from all that, right? Enter Eric Margrave, semi-professional monster hunter (He'd be a professional, but they really don't have a certification process for this sort of thing.). When the things that go bump in the night start actually knocking on the door, he's the one who serves them their walking papers... for a nominal fee. Prices negotiable. No demons, please.In his debut appearance, Eric has entered the exciting world of real-estate, looking to set up a new safehouse. Good news: the house is haunted, and therefore a steal at the current price if you happen to know how to work an exorcism. Bad news... well, the house might be a bit more aggressively haunted than even a freelance slayer of the paranormal is used to...
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