Fairies Don't Play Blackjack by Gary McKay

[Glitch]

Harry Holden stumbles through Ballykey Cemetery, blood gushing from his throat, chest heaving with sobs. Faster, faster! Gotta get away! He staggers into a clearing dominated by a hawthorn tree, its every detail rendered sinister by pale moonlight. Despite everything, he shivers at the sight of it, remembering his nana’s oft-repeated warning: Never trust the wee folk, Harry.

The world spins.

As he falls, Harry glimpses thorny branches, blood-red berries and claw-like fissures on brown bark. He hears but doesn’t feel the crack when he lands, the cold already overtaking his body.

Sophie…

His eyes close and he knows they won’t open again. Not in this life, anyway. All his hopes and dreams cut short by the swish of a knife.

“Not… fair…” breathes Harry. His last words and there’s no one around to hear them.

Or so he thinks.

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[Garfunkel]

Thank you for publishing, Glitch! Perfect picture choice. And thanks to @The Judge for their help and support too!

 

[Danny McG]

Scary yarn

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Good, spooky story Garfunkel, well done! CC

 

[The Judge]

As CC asked in the Story of the Year thread, I'm now checking with the Kraxon authors to see if they're happy to be linked to their Chrons names, where the connection isn't perhaps obvious, and having got Gary's permission on this, I was going to out him as Garfunkel. But I see he's beaten me to it and done it himself!