This is the cover of the gross-out horror story that I was talking about before on my Twitter that I've had to rethink over and over again before making a cover and I think the cover speaks for itself as to why. The book will be made after writing Fractured Heaven and The Problem with Bonds.

Fractured Heaven: Chapter 2 – Hard Work for an Easy Life

Chapter 2 – Hard Work for an Easy Life

“Come on, newbies, it’s time to rise and shine! Breakfast is ready,” the man in shining armor says as he bangs a pot.

Basil and Julia wake up and hurry downstairs to find a simple breakfast of bread and eggs with orange juice ready for them.

As they eat, the man says, “We didn’t get to have a proper introduction yesterday, so here it is. My name is Atlas and the healer who was with us is named Cynthia. Our guild’s name is Cultrarii and our primary goal is to make a living fighting against Hell. It’s both profitable and moral to do so we have the best of both worlds. To continue your training, you will be going into the dungeon alone and will be down there for most of the day. Don’t worry about knowing the time because I have these watches that will tell you. Be sure not to break them.”

Basil and Julia look at each other before looking back at Atlas.

“What? You’ve already shown that you two work well together. If you survive this, then you can survive anything and make it in the world as one of us. Or…if you don’t want to join us, you could try to join the other guilds. I don’t know if the guild itself is known from the outside, but I know for sure that our individual members are known so you’re joining a top tier guild. You won’t find anything like us in the other guilds. I’m not sure about your chances with the other guilds especially since we don’t interact much and who knows if the other guilds have less than reputable heroes in it, however, I see that it looks like I’m forcing you to be with us, so make your decision now. Us? Or someone else? I’ll give you some time to think.”

Atlas walks away from them with a confident grin on his face. Peeking behind him, Basil sees that the rest of the guild that is there are looking at them and waiting for their answer.

“They’re looking at us right now,” Basil whispers.

“I can feel it,” Julia whispers while trying not to look behind her, “What should we do?”

“We should be part of their guild. What other choice do we have right now?”

“There are a lot of other choices in the kingdom.”

“But do you know if they’ll accept us the same way? If the first test was tough here, how do you think it’s going to be with the other guilds? What about that comfortable life that you want? You could become friends with the heroes here and they’ll help you move up fast.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m surer of this than any other option than any other one. I’ve heard of some of these heroes even before I arrived here, we have to give them a chance. If it doesn’t work out as well as we thought, then we at least we will have experience and people to pick up for us.”

“Since I can’t think of anything else, I guess I’ll just go with your plan.”

Basil turns around to Atlas and says, “We’ve decided that we’re staying.”

The guild cheers and raises their morning drinks to honor their new members.

Atlas puts his hand on their shoulders and says, “Thank you. You won’t regret this decision. Are you ready to become professionals like us?”

“Yes, sir,” they both say together.

“Then let’s head out for your final test.”

Basil and Julia take their possessions along with some food and water for the day before they go. As they approach the entrance to the dungeon, dozens of bodies are taken out along with boxes that assumingly have pieces of a person.

“Before you go in, I have to tell you that the layout of the dungeon you’re entering is different from the one you entered yesterday. If you think the city is big, then you haven’t seen anything yet. The dungeon is at least twice the size as the city with various locations inside of it that are unreal.”

“We’re going to be entering the first level, right?” Julia asks.

“You can, but you could also go to whatever level you want. I’m not going to say that you should go to the last level, however, you could go to the second level if you want.”

“Why would we do that? Isn’t it more dangerous?”

“Yes, but with more danger means more rewards. I did it on my first day as well with a friend and rose those the ranks faster than those who didn’t. Sure, I got some cuts, but you know what they say, no pain, no gain.”

“Do you think we can do it?”

“I think you have a shot. You work together well, and your equipment is decent. From my experience, you can make it.”

“Okay, well do it. Right, Basil?”

“If you say so.”

“Break a leg out there though not literally, and Basil, don’t forget what I said yesterday about girls and owing.”

Julia looks at Basil with a slight smile.

“Whatever you say,” Basil responds.

“She gave that little cute smile, didn’t she Basil. They always do that, and it makes the sternest of men fall. Don’t fall for it!”

“Okay, I won’t.”

Basil and Julia enter the rotating room and pick the second floor. The room transports them there in a matter of seconds. With their weapons ready, they exit the room. The second floor of the dungeon appears to be like the inside of a normal house with light shining out of the window. This strange sight makes Julia lower her guard while Basil tries not to.

“Why does this place look like this?” Julia says aloud.

“You’re asking me? I don’t have a clue. All I can say is that we should be careful.”

“Right.”

Julia higher her guard again while making her way through the house. The two search the upstairs and find jewelry boxes and safes with gold in it. Julia reaches to grab the gold, but Basil stops her.

“Hey!”

“What is it? It’s free treasure.”

“It’s probably a trap. I don’t think demons would just leave a bunch of treasure at the beginning of the dungeon.”

“I guess so. What if they leave it here for us because they don’t want us going after them?”

“We aren’t on the first floor so it’s not going to be that simple and remember that demons use their tricks to convince people to sin.”

“Okay, but how can we prove that this is just a trick?”

“Let’s see…oh, I know!”

Basil cuts down the large jewelry box, which starts to melt. The box itself was a demon with the drawers being various mouths with sharp teeth in them that appear as if they could extend to bite someone at a distance. Now that Basil has exposed one of the demons, the other demons posing as furniture and boxes with gold run off with their treasures while laughing a childish laugh.

“I guess you owe me again.”

“Do I really?”

“No, I don’t care. Atlas is just overexaggerating because of how much he’s owed Cynthia.”

“That’s what I think too.”

The wallpaper and cleanliness of the house peel itself off as the boards and walls start to break. Basil and Julia quickly run out of the house as it begins to close on them. When they look back at the house, they see that the house was another demon in disguise with a mouth as large as the cavern they’re in. They sprint down the cavern as they’re being chased by the house-sized demon. Other smaller demons start coming into the cavern via the small holes in the walls and ceiling that attempt to slow them down. The two dodge and cut down the oncoming demons before coming to a dark hole that they can’t see the bottom of.

“Do we have to jump, Basil? I didn’t see a path that we missed. Did you?”

“No, I didn’t. I think we have to jump.”

“Really? You don’t think we can kill the house?”

With one look back at the house, Basil says, “Yeah, no,” before taking Julia’s hand and jumping into the cavern with her.

They land in a running river filled with demonic fish that are like piranhas. Basil and Julia struggle to fight them off as they are bitten and scratched by the demons. They then fall off a large waterfall, down another hole, and onto a mess of tall grass that somehow breaks their fall. Before they have a chance to take a breath, they hear rustling and the cutting of grass. They look around them and before they know it, their ankles are legs are being cut at by something moving past them.  To defend themselves, they put their back to one another and try to swing at the demons to no avail. The attacks start to increase, so they are forced to run while enduring being scratched and cut at. Both stumble out of the tall grass just as a series of teeth blades reach out to them.

Knowing that they don’t have long to rest, the two keep moving as fast as their injured legs will allow. The ground then opens and swallows them. As the two descend deeper into the mouth, they see a mass of teeth at the bottom that will cut them into pieces if they don’t do anything. Julia climbs her way to the top and tries to cut open the mouth that swallowed them but can’t manage to. Seeing that failed plan, Basil cuts at the fleshy side of the mouth and manages to find a hidden passage. He grabs Julia’s hand to help her across as they squeeze into the passage that collapses once they are both inside. They fall into a room full of treasure and equipment. Their recent experience makes them immediately attack all the chests and containers to see if any of them are demons in disguise. Thankfully, none of them are as they are at the end of the dungeon. They look at each other and laugh before collecting whatever treasure they can.

The exit of the room is directly linked to a rotating room that sends them back to the entrance of the dungeon. Once out, they make their way to the Cultrarii’s guild. Atlas is shocked but glad to see them back as he falls out of his seat as soon as he sees them enter the guild.

“The-they’re back, everyone!” he says as he stumbles to his feet, “Three cheers for our new members!”

The guild cheers for them as they help Basil and Julia with their loot. The loot they’ve obtained goes towards food, drinks, the guild itself, and finally them. Both Basil and Julia receive medical treatment for their wounds along with a small amount of money as their pay. Their wounds still sting a bit and they feel as if they’ve been gipped for their hard work, but don’t say anything. They only look at each other and know that they’re both thinking the same thing. Thinking he and Julia might get some more if he explained what happened, Basil reports to Atlas what exactly happened in the dungeon after dinner.

“Wow, you guys were lucky,” Atlas says.

“How’s that?”

“There are three kinds of dungeon that you may end up in; paced, controlled, and different mixes of them. You guys got a controlled one where the demons push you through whatever horrors they throw at you and all you have to do is endure it while thinking quick on your feet. Those are the kinds of dungeons that the best equipment won’t help you in.”

“Oh.”

“What? Were you expecting a raise because it was difficult? You already got it for going to the second floor. Besides, you shouldn’t worry about making money. With the skills you have, you can make all the money you need to live a comfortable life. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Now, go get some rest. I’m sure you need it.”

Basil gets up and goes to his room. Julia follows him and catches him before he goes into his room.

“Do you have a minute to talk again?”

“Sure.”

Basil and Julia sit by the window again like they did last night.

“I know you must be thinking what I’m thinking. I don’t think we’re getting paid as much as we should be. What do you think we should do about it?”

“The only thing I can think we should do is tough it out and wait for an opportunity to make more. This kingdom is filled with them after all.”

“But I still don’t like the idea of work so hard for so little.”

“I still think this is just part of the process.”

“If it is, then it’s a really slow process.”

“You shouldn’t worry so much. Good things come to those who wait, right?”

“If you so say. Oh, and thanks for always having my back in the dungeon.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a man if I didn’t.”

Julia hugs Basil. He embraces her and the two hold onto each other longer than they both expected. Atlas then opens the door and the two separate.

“Hey, I just came to check up on you two,” he says, “I know you’re both thinking that the amount we’ve paid you seems like chump change for such hard work, but that’s just the way it is. Listen, if you want more tonight, I have a deal for you since you two seem to be getting close. One of you has to give up your room for the other. The one who does is paid extra but must sleep in the other person’s room. I’m sure neither of you would mind either way. Simple?”

Knowing what she wants, Basil says, “Go ahead, Julia.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay. I’ll give up my room and sleep in Basil’s.”

“I knew you’d say that. Oh, and Basil, sleep next to her and don’t give up your bed. You may regret it later.”

Atlas then leaves the two alone after giving Julia her money.

“You can take my bed. I’ll sleep on the floor,” Basil says.

“Are you sure? The floors don’t exactly look comfortable to sleep on and it doesn’t look like we have any more pillows and blankets.”

“It’s fine. I can deal with it.”

“Thank you so much, Basil.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Julia gives Basil one last hug before going to sleep on his bed. While he sleeps on the uncomfortable and dirty floor, Basil tries not to mind his situation by telling himself that he needs to make sacrifices and do things for others at the cost of his comfort so that they can be happy. This is what a hero does, isn’t it?

Concept art for the demons

Fractured Heaven - Chapter 1 – Living with Heroes

Chapter 1 – Living with Heroes

There lies a kingdom with an island kingdom floating above it. Both are the kingdom known as Tyrannus. This fantastical city is home to heroes of all kinds that are notable for fighting the forces of Hell that come from underneath the kingdom. People from all over the world flock here to make a name for themselves. Basil is yet another young man who has dreams of adventure and heroism. He eagerly waits in line at the gates as the lines for new adventures to get in is typically long.

As he waits, he looks up at the walls that have guards patrolling it. Basil sees that the guards are scanning the crowd with some kind of glowing blue magic. A guard informs two guards of something and takes them away. The guard who casts magic continues his duty until his blue magic turns red when it shines on a man in the crowd. This man turns into a demon that leaps up high in the air to attack the guard but is taken down by an archer on the other far side of the wall.

Basil says aloud, “Wow! Despite the huge distance between them, the archer still managed to save his friend!”

Other people say, “That’s Tyrannus’ guards for you!”

“It’s that special bow of his. I’ve heard these heroes find legendary loot while fighting against Hell.”

“I need me one of those!”

Thoughts of adventure distract Basil from moving forward in line until someone taps his shoulder and tells him to keep going. When he goes up to the gate, he sees a gatekeeper that gives him a creepy feeling. The gatekeeper isn’t wearing anything strange or intimidating, but the smile and look on his face unsettle him. He sets his feelings aside, puts on a friendly smile, and approaches the gatekeeper.

“Hello, my name is Basil. I’d like entry into the Tyrannus to become an adventurer,” Basil says to him.

“Ah, it always warms my heart to see so many people trying to make a difference in the world today,” the gatekeeper says as he writes down Basil’s information.

The gatekeeper’s eyes then flash as the take a picture of Basil’s face that then appears on his information sheet. After a few seconds, the rest of Basil’s information is filled out automatically which includes; his date of birth, hometown, eye color, and age.

“That’s amazing! I’ve never seen a magic spell like that.”

“Why thank you! Now, if you want a boost in your way to becoming a hero, then sign this contract with your finger. Don’t worry. Your name will appear on it.”

Basil considers it for a second while looking at the smiling gatekeeper. A feeling in his gut tells him not to.

“Thank you, but no. I’ll be good without it.”

“If you say so. There’s no shame in getting help. Everyone who signs this contract manages to become their best selves and access to the island above in only a month. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am.”

The gatekeeper’s face seems to sour, which startles Basil a bit, but he manages to keep his composure.

“If you change your mind, you can always come back to me or the other gatekeepers.”

“Okay. Thank you again.”

The gatekeeper is silent and stares at Basil as he walks away. Both lock eyes until Basil walks into someone as the gatekeeper smiles again.

“Ah! Excuse me,” Basil says before looking at the man he bumped into.

Basil sees that he walked into a man with shiny silver armor and a silver helmet with both of its horns cut off.

“You don’t have to worry about it. This tough armor protects me from all kinds of attacks so it can sure take you bumping into it. I’d have to get a refund if it couldn’t. Hahaha.”

Basil can only smile in amazement as he looks at the man’s equipment, armor, and shinning personality.

The man continues, “I knew a batch of new faces came in today. You seem to be full of energy and ready to fight against Hell. You even rejected the gatekeeper’s contract. Both of those facts tell me that you will fit right in with our guild.”

“Do you really think so?”

“We’ll have to see soon. We enter the dungeon today to test the newbies.”

“We fight against Hell today?!”

“We fight against it every day! The kingdom was built directly above the kingdom so that Hell would not overtake the world. We fight day in and day out to keep Hell at bay. We’re aren’t famous for nothing.”

“I know that, but I don’t even have any armor and I only have my iron sword.”

“This is how we test the people that come in. In the toughest battles, your mind matters more than your equipment. The best armor and weapons aren’t effective if you don’t know how to utilize them. Remember that your equipment can break, but your mind will only break if you let it am I right?”

“That’s right!”

“Then let’s fight Hell itself. I’ll be showing you to our guild.”

“What’s your name?”

“I’ll tell you my name if you complete your first day. Okay?”

“Okay?”

Basil walks while looking around and admiring everything around him. Tons of people are selling their products and talking with each other. The weather is warm with a cool breeze that makes everything feel comfortable in a way. Despite only being in the kingdom for a few minutes, he’s already thinking about living here for the rest of his life and never returning home. The two soon arrive at the guild’s base that doesn’t appear to be anything special, but still nice to be in. Swords, armor, and paintings line the walls as decorations. Adventurers and fighters are talking to each other, some are by themselves fixing up their weapons before heading out, and others are accepting requests from the guild receptionist. Basil recognizes some of them from rumors he’s heard. One is a hunter with four dogs that are wearing armor, another is an Eastern swordsman, and another is man clad in ebony armor with a blade and shield as black as the night on his back.

“It looks like we’re the first ones back. Let’s wait for a bit. You must be tired from your journey here,” the man says as he and Basil take a seat at an empty table.

“Who are we waiting for?”

“Other newbies like you. So far it looks like you’re the only one we got since the others have come back empty handed or maybe they’re just lazy.”

“I heard that!” one of the guys in the room says.

The adventures laugh together loudly while Basil doesn’t laugh as loud.

“Are there other people picking up new people to join their guilds?” Basil asks.

“You won’t believe how many there are. I mean have you seen how big the city is? If you have, then that’s how many guilds are looking to recruit new members and that’s just the guilds. There are a ton of businesses that want fresh blood to hire.”

“What’s your guild’s name?”

“That’s not important for you to know right now. Just wait a little longer and I’ll answer all of your questions.”

“Okay…”

After waiting for a little while, four more new arrivals show up.

Once everyone is together, the man in shining armor says, “Alright! We have four newbies in our humble little guild. That’s good enough for our little adventure into the dungeon. It’ll be a simple trip and we’ll be paid enough to put food on the table so don’t get too excited. From what we see, we’ll see if you’re tough enough to join our guild. I’ll be with you along with our gorgeous healer.”

“What?” the healer says with surprise.

“We’re going to need a healer in an emergency.”

“Alright. Fine, but I’m not sharing my cut.”

“When do you ever? Well, are you all ready?”

“Yeah!” the newbies say.

The group of adventurers head out to one of the many entrances into the dungeons. These entrances into the dungeon are guarded by heavily armored and equipment. They are the only black colored buildings in the kingdom with no windows and a single entrance. Inside the building is a second checkpoint with other guards and other adventurers who are getting ready to enter the dungeon. Once ready, the adventures enter rotating rooms that transport teams or solo adventurers into a random part of the dungeon that they choose. The man in shining armor picks the top level and the group is transported to a low level in the dungeon. They exit the room and ready their weapons.

“Remember to stay close and attack the targets I tell you to attack,” the man in shining armor says, “Even in these lower levels, the demons can easily defeat you even if they are physically weak.”

  Everyone follows the man’s lead as he takes them through the dungeon. The dungeon itself is lit up with torches that have a white and black flame on them.

The man explains that, “These torches may seem strange, but they’re dangerous the sinful and no one is without sin, so don’t touch them or they’ll do permanent damage to you.”

He then stops them before they turn a corner. A demon who has been newly formed is still getting adjusted his body. With what look to be human hands, feet, heads, and teeth on it, it sends shivers down the spines of the newbies and disturbs them. Basil tries to keep his nerves from bothering him by keeping still and focused.

“Hold. There’s a lone demon around the corner. You with the iron sword. Take’em out.”

Basil goes behind the demon and cuts down the demon without hesitation. The demon’s body disintegrates into the small cracks of the floor.

“Thatta boy. I knew I saw something good in you. Everyone take note and do what he did. If you do that, we’ll make it through this with no causalities.”

They nod as the man gives Basil a smile and thumbs up. Basil returns it and goes back into the group. After a little while, they come across another demon. This one is fully formed and used to his body.

“Okay. Boy with the knife, this kill is perfect for your sneaking skills.”

“Alright. I got this!”

The thief sneaks behind the demon with confidence until the demon opens its eye on the back of its head. This startles the thief and makes him jolt backward. The eye in the back of the demon catches sight of the thief and a fight between them ensues as the demon uses his extended human teeth to fight the thief. Basil stands up, but the man stops him.

The man whispers, “If you can’t kill a simple demon or make up for your mistakes, you aren’t fit to be here.”

When the group looks back, they see that the demon has killed the thief whose body is melting through the cracks of the floor.

“I didn’t expect him to be a real thief. You guys have better said your confessions because if you have some serious sins on your soul, your body will be used by these demons as vessels for evil. Dual axe girl, you’re up.”

The amazon stands up and charges to fight the demon. She manages to get the better of him, but the sound of something scraping across the walls is heard as she defeats him. Basil wants to say something but remembers he’s supposed to let her deal with it. After catching her breath, she turns around only to be killed from above by a demon with various heads with teeth that allow him to cling to the walls and ceiling while having an extra set of teeth to attack with. The amazon doesn’t disappear and lays dead.

“She almost had it. You’re next, girl.”

Without hesitating, the last newbie engages the enemy. With her rapier and small shield, she holds her own against the slippery demon. The demon’s inability to land a hit agitates him and forces him to make the rash decision of leaping at her with his teeth out. As death approaches, the girl focuses herself. She then stabs the demon in midair, killing it.

“Bravo, girl!”

Three more demons then approach from around the corner. It doesn’t look like she can survive this so Basil pushes past the man and helps the girl fight the demons. With their combined strength, they defeat all the demons.

“Thanks. I was sure I was going to die,” the girl says.

“Great job, kid,” the man says, “That was a hidden part of the test that you passed with flying colors.”

“So…we could’ve saved the others?” Basil asks.

“We could’ve, but their deaths were their own doing. This part of the dungeon is easy to go through if you know what you’re doing. Don’t worry about their deaths. This happens all the time when we recruit newbies.”

Basil and the girl are speechless and just follow the man. The body of the amazon is wrapped up and taken out of the dungeon while they move forward. Together, they defeat more demons and find loot and gold. They are led to a singular room with a small demon guarding a heap of treasure.

The man instructs them to, “Walk into the room, kill the little guy quickly, and take the treasure. I know he doesn’t look like much, but you should remember that demons are tricky.”

While walking to the room, Basil and the girl see the demon more clearly. They see that he appears to be a sad human girl with tears running down her face. Both look back at the man who’s making a slashing motion with his hands. When Basil looks back at the child, he sees that most of the child’s body is now a large gaping mouth about to swallow the girl. He pushes the girl out of the way then cuts the demon in two.

“Thatta boy!” the man yells as he raises his fist.

The girl sees what the demon was really like as it melts into the floor.

“Thank you again. I guess I really owe you now for saving me twice,” she says.

“You don’t need to worry about it,” Basil says with a smile and a hand behind his head.

“What are you saying, kid?! When a girl tells you she owes you, you make sure you take advantage of that because let me tell you, women will always take advantage of you owing them something.”

“Shut it. Don’t be jealous that he’s more of a gentleman than you,” the woman says.

The man leans in closer to Basil and whispers, “Watch out especially for this one. You don’t want to be in debt to her.”

“I heard that! Get to carrying the loot back to the guild or else I’ll have to make you lick my boots clean again.”

“Don’t let the newbies hear that!”

“Get moving before I tell them more.”

“Alright, alright!”

The woman smiles at the girl then winks at Basil. He blushes and turns his head as he helps the man carry the treasure. Once they’re back at the guild, a large feast is laid out for all its members.

“Here’s to the new recruits who will be our new members. This feast is on them,” the man says as he holds up a cup as the guild members cheer.

Basil and the girl partake in the feast and enjoy themselves but can’t talk to each other. Once everything settles down and heads to bed, the girl knocks at Basil’s door.

“Hi, what are you doing up?” Basil asks.

“I just wanted to talk to you since we didn’t get much time to talk. I didn’t even get your name.”

“Oh, my name is Basil. What’s yours?”

“Julia.”

“Well, come on in. I’m sorry that the room is dusty and dirty. I didn’t get a chance to clean it yet.”

“I have the same kind of room, so don’t think anything of it. Let’s open some windows.”

Julia opens the windows to reveal a wondrous star-filled bright night. The two sit on the ledge near the window and admire the sight.

“So, Julia. What did you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to know someone in the guild I’m in and the others seem too intimidating to talk to since they look so experienced and powerful. I mean do you even know the names of the man and woman we went into the dungeon with?”

“No. I don’t even know what our guild is called, but the guy told me that he’ll tell us tomorrow.”

“That’s the thing. They probably didn’t expect us to survive our first day and thought it was a waste of time to tell people about them.”

“I think it’s because they don’t want to form a personal bond with people who might die the first day they meet. It would be terrible to get to know someone only to lose them the same day, so they try to keep a distance to not feel as bad.”

“I guess so. What about these dirty rooms and meager pay? It feels like they’re ripping us off despite already looking like they don’t need the extra money.”

“It’s probably a training thing to humble us so we don’t inflate our egos in our first days adventuring. Why are you wondering these things anyway?”

“Because I want to accomplish the goal I came here for.”

“And what’s that?”

“It’s uh…I’ll tell you if you tell me yours first.”

“I want to become a heroic adventurer. It’s simple as that.”

“Gosh. I don’t think I could fight in that dungeon for my entire life. This is only temporary. I want to live a peaceful life on the island above. Not even the most powerful kingdoms of the world dare attack this place because they’re afraid they might unleash Hell on earth. This is the safest place in the world except for the dungeon, of course. It’s like Heaven. I’m sorry if my dream seems selfish.”

“No, I get it. I would like to settle down with someone too after I know that someone will take my place.”

“Heh, anyone can take your place now. You’re just a common newbie like me.”

“Yeah, but I want to actually make something of my life first. Why didn’t you join a company or business if you wanted to live comfortably?”

“I’m not good at doing business. The only skills I learned from my family were fighting so that’s what I’m going to use to accomplish my dream.”

“Let’s do it then.”

“Huh? Do what?”

“Accomplish our dreams together. We’re not that different from one another in terms of dreams and places we come from. This is the start of it all so let’s do what we came here to do.”

Basil holds out his hand with a smile. Julia smiles and shakes his hand. Julia then goes to her room to sleep as Basil lies on his bed feeling good about himself. He doesn’t mind sleeping in the conditions he’s in. For him, this is just the beginning. This is how heroes start and there’s nothing he can do about it, so he endures it for now in the hopes that things will be better soon.

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If you didn't know, there is a legend associated with each season of the year. These legends range from demons that whisper to you in the chilly fall wind to going to Hell for your sins during Christmas time. The Demons of the Seasons takes different forms to terrorize people in these different stories, but are they truly the ones causing all of the evil? Find out in these four supernatural short stories. 
This book collects; Fall's Chilling Whispers, In Winter's Clutches, Spring Showers, Death's Hour, and Summer's Sinful Secrets along with including Behind the Story details for a look at some of the inspirations behind these seasonal horror stories.

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The seventh entry in the Collection of Shocks and Terrors series collects so many different kinds of stories that you're bound to find something that interests your need for something weird and sometimes horrifying. There's dark romance, a story centered around games, a story about men playing god in a simulation, a zombie-like biohazard story, one with animal assistants, and a being who will either take your sorrows or life away. With so much variety, who isn't tempted to give these short stories a read? 
This book collects; The Disease Killing Me is You, The King's Game, The Simulation of Human gods, Last Five Bullets, A Flip of the Coin, and Undertaker of Sorrows along with Behind the Story extras for each story.

Undertaker of Sorrows is completed and free on Smashwords!

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The Undertaker of Sorrows is a being described to be a monster and yet also an angel. This being interacts with people who have been sorrowful for a long time and tries to get them to change. If they are unable to, then he ends their life in a way that reflects their sins because, by that point, they are hurting themselves and others. What will happen to the sorrowful hearts in these five stories?

Undertaker of Sorrows: Sorrowful Heart 5 - Sinner to Saint

Sorrowful Heart 5 – Sinner to Saint

Five inmates are waiting on death row. Inmates are typically visited by the Undertaker of Sorrows while they serve their sentence. He doesn’t visit everyone, but death row inmates see him more often. While waiting one night, each of the five inmates receives the Undertaker’s letter warning them to let go of their sorrows with the worst of them not paying attention to it. After reading the letter, the four think about what they should do. The fifth one does what he always does as he silently keeps to himself in the corner of his room.

During the next day, they receive their items to remember what they did. The first one receives a knife with skin and hair still in it. Even when he touches it, he can still hear the screams of the people whose lives he took, the anger he felt, and the feelings of sadness as the reason for him taking their lives resurfaced. He didn’t want to kill them, but if he didn’t, he felt as if others would suffer. Content with his choices, the first inmate spends his days cutting his room with the knife as if stabbing and slicing those he hated again and again.

The second inmate receives a wallet with some meager change inside it along with the picture of a small family in front of a house. This inmate thinks of the different things she can do with the change she has. Maybe she can kill herself with what she has. It might be slow, but to her, it’s better than waiting for her turn to die. This is all that’s on her mind. The thought of getting over her guilt and what is causing her sorrow is a fleeting thought that appears on and off in her mind. The wallet delivered to her is from an old woman she robbed. With the picture in the wallet, she found the old woman’s family and stole from them as well. Even with all the money she had, she couldn’t escape justice. Now she just thinks of an easy way out.

With pictures of women in flirtatious women, the third inmate remembers what causes him feelings of guilt, however, he tries to get rid of those feelings by pleasing himself. These teenage girls weren’t raised by the best of parents and found themselves molested by this man. Only one of the girls has been found who put the man in jail. The rest are nowhere to be found. This inmate refuses to admit his guilt even as the echoes of the girls’ screams and cries torture him.

Old toys are sent to the fourth inmate, but she does nothing as always. Back in her younger years, she would run away from whatever troubled her whether I’d be financial, murderous, or familial. Even when she gave birth to children, she left them without anyone to care for them. She couldn’t run from everything in the end, so with nowhere left to run she does her other favorite hobby which is sitting down and doing nothing while remembering her “good” days.

Since the things that remind him of his sorrows and guilt can’t fit in the room nor does he have to be reminded, the fifth inmate receives nothing and keeps to himself like always. If he needed a reminder of his life, all he will need to do is look at the scars and tattoos on his body. Even then, he might feel like he’d want to rip at his skin until all the reminders went away. Instead, he waits for his special visitor who will help him take away his pain. While he is still unaware of the letter, he still feels as if should be worried about something happening tomorrow.

The next day arrives faster than the inmates think with all of them feeling anxious. When checking the rooms, the guards are surprised at what they find. The first inmate’s outsides and insides cover every surface of the floor, walls, and ceiling similar to his victims. For the second inmate, she’s lost all of her insides including her skeleton and all that’s left is her oily skin. Inside the third inmate’s cell is an even more horrifying sight with the man’s crotch pulled out. It appears that he bled out in agony until he died. The way that the fourth inmate died is similar but might be even more disgusting. Various kinds of insects and vermin crawl out of her skin and body. From the looks of it, she was eaten from the inside while she was frozen in place.

Knowing how cruel and sinful the last inmate was, the guards brace themselves for what they might see. To their surprise, they find the fifth inmate how he always is with his hands folded in prayer. On closer inspection, the man they once feared appears to have a new face as he appears to be more like a gentle giant instead of a monster. Nothing changed about his appearance physically, but the eyes of the guards are picking up on something their minds aren’t. A Catholic priest enters the room in time for the man’s confession and last Eucharist.

While the man confesses his sins, the officers find the letter from the Undertaker of Sorrows in each of the five cells. Confused about the outcome, the officers go over the fifth inmate's record. They go over his long list of crimes and wonder if the man is admitting to committing every sin imaginable. The only thing that indicates a change in him is him turning himself in. Again, something happened that they didn’t see.

On the day of his execution, spectators who thought they’d be happy were instead sad for some reason with some even crying. No one could put words to what they were feeling. Before and after he died, the inmate appears to be at peace with a soft smile on his face that no one imagined they would see. The smile almost looks as if belonged to someone else because of who it was on. And thus, another soul is saved from their sorrows as the Undertaker continues his quest to relieve people of their sorrows or of their lives.

The End

“Remember that it is not feeling of guilt that constitutes sin but the consent to sin. Only the free will is capable of good or evil. But when the will sighs under the trial of the tempter and does not will what is presented to it, there is not only no fault but there is virtue.” – St. Padre Pio