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Showing 48 of 51 audiobooks, 48 of them with the narrator named.
The O'Malleys and the Rodriguezes
"Life in Oakroy, Pennsylvania is about as far and away from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as a cactus is the ocean. But, when you're the single daughter to Malcolm O'Malley, a large man who's about as stuck to the 1980's as a hand is stuck in a peanut butter jar, things aren't always easy. Rachel's 15 going on 16 and with her mother passed away at age 6, she's going to have to deal with her father's conservative politics, his new dates, his Catholic faith and his very vocal politics. Is Rachel going to make it out of high school without tearing her hair out? Find out and see!"
Mickey Gatz (Author), Katrina Medina (Narrator)
Audiobook · 3 hrs 50 mins
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. When she finally picked up the phone Brielle went on heat waves sharing her latest experience with her. Sasha felt a little relieved to know she wasn’t the only one becoming paranoid. “So anyway, the group has decided the activity should be night hiking. Talk about adventurers.” “That sounds kinda crazy……. but ok. I need to get out of this house.” Sasha spoke up. After finalizing the details the two hung up. She closed her eyes. Her house sounded different to her. She could hear animals scurrying outside, the wind blowing faintly off the treetops and murmuring. It was as if her whole neighborhood was now in range of her ears. Opening her eyes abruptly, she decided she would do something besides eavesdrop on the neighborhood. She picked up her notepad and flipped to the back. She found a pencil and began drawing-nothing in particular. When she had finished she looked at it in marvel and confusion. It looked like some sort of cave system. Shrugging, she picked up her notepad and began scribbling."
Mace Styx (Author), Katrina Medina (Narrator)
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. On the first day of my stay, I just spent most of my time roaming about the woods and taking pictures. The selling point of this place was undoubtedly the beautiful nature that was surrounding it. I didn’t use the motor bike since its noise would scare away the animals, and I was able to take some great shots of the gorgeous scenery and its inhabitants. As I was strolling, I noticed some peculiar etchings on the trees that were clearly carved by a human. It was some kind of sigils or characters that were foreign to me, and I saw them engraved on a couple of trees at the same area of the forest. I assumed it must have been some kind superstitious practice of those who were living there, but I almost certain that the neighborhood closest to Harris’ place was at least several kilometers away. Its remote location was the reason why I chose to go here anyway. Aside from those trivial vandalisms, I really enjoyed my walk in the woods. The peace and serene sound of leaves brushing across the air, and the absence of human noise and pollution was relaxing to say the least. I took Harris’ advice and made sure that I made it back home before the sun down."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. Mostly, the reason given at this place was put down to ‘noises’. The bin area, I should explain, was a separate caged section at the back of the restaurant, which again, by law, had to be kept at a designated distance from any food preparation area. This small, secluded patch of the car park, which was perhaps four or five meters by six, was poorly lit and contained around a dozen massive steel drum litter bins, into which all of the day’s waste needed to be poured. The problem with the area, especially at night, was that it backed onto the woods. This being England, and the wildlife of England being what it is, there was no threat from any animals. There was nothing lurking in the woods any bigger than a badger or a fox and anyone complaining about animals would get the inevitable jokes about being gnawed to death by a squirrel or attacked by a rabid hedgehog. There might, on occasion be the odd stray dog out there, but even that wasn’t anything to really worry about. Yet, several members of staff, who would happily take out the bags full of waste in the daylight, refused to even entertain the idea of going out there at night. I remember, around six months into my first year at the place asking a friend named John what all the fuss was about. His answer wasn’t exactly clear, but something about the way in which he told it, made me begin to think twice about going out there myself."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. The photographs, under a title that describes the image’s contents in the crudest possible terms, were of Kristen. In the bedroom, in our living room, getting into and out of the shower. Even standing before the cooker top wearing just an oversized pullover and a red thong as she prepared pasta. I felt sick as the implications began to sink in. Not only were these invasive and highly intimate photographs that had somehow made their way onto a public platform. They were photographs that she clearly believed that I had taken and disseminated. I thought back to the night that the red thong picture was taken. It was a few days after we had moved in, the night we had eaten pasta, sitting face to face cross legged on the bare floorboards of the living room before the carpets and the new sofa had arrived. We had lit candles, eaten our food while planning in our minds and discussing where we’d put the rest of our belongings once we had unpacked. We had laughed and teased each other right there on the floor. At no point during the evening had I taken a photograph. Neither had she and neither had anyone else. We had been alone."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. Feems explained, with the use of a tiny bowl, what the whole thing was about and the science behind how it worked. He never quite got to the point where he explained how in God’s name he had convinced them to let him do it, but we didn’t care. “So, the swimming pool is going to be emptied in the next fortnight, all the pumps replaced to get ready for the big swim meet. So, before they replace everything I’ve convinced them to let me have a go with the swimming pool to do an experiment.” He then produced a small perspex casserole dish, and a jug full of yellow liquid which instantly filled the room with the smell of vanilla. “This” he said as he poured the thick, gloopy liquid into the dish “Is custard. Beautiful delicious tasting stuff it is too, but we’re not eating it today.” Once he had filled the rectangular dish with three or four jugs of this liquid he held it up for us to see. “Now imagine that this is the swimming pool and instead of being a few inches deep, the entire thing, six feet deep and twenty five meters long of it, is filled with this liquid. Now watch.” From the pocket of his lab coat he produced a baseball and laid it on top of the custard. Naturally it sank to the bottom of the casserole dish and we looked at each other confused. As we were about to question, he raised one finger to gesture for silence and grinned broadly. “Sunk. Just as you might expect. But....”"
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. She blinked at Sir Farridan’s sudden entrance. He was surprised by how ordinary-looking she was, for a princess – they were supposed to be wispy little things, delicate and ungodly beautiful. Princess Idrun wore a simple white gown, her unruly blonde hair falling down to her hips, a greenish cast to it in the light. Her eyes were green as well, gazing at Sir Farridan now with some wariness to her expression. “Who are you?” she asked him. “Princess Idrun,” Sir Farridan said, executing a short, somewhat perfunctory bow. “I am Sir Farridan. I have travelled long and far to rescue you.” To his surprise, she merely looked slightly confused by this. It wasn’t the swooning gratitude he had been expecting. “Rescue me?” she repeated, frowning. “Rescue me from what?” He was so baffled by her question that for a moment he just stood there gawking at her, jaw hanging open. She stared back with a face as smooth and unaffected as glass. He reasoned that perhaps she was in shock from seeing another human being after so long in isolation. “You – from this!” Sir Farridan said, gesturing vaguely around the room. He tugged at his collar, wishing he’d worn lighter armor. “This place!” “I like it here.” Princess Idrun replied, making no move to get up off the bed. In fact, she seemed to be slightly bored by the conversation, her body language closed-off and unfriendly. “But…why would you want to stay here?!” he blurted out. “In an empty, crumbling castle?” “Nobody bothers me here,” Idrun replied, with a shrug. “It’s peaceful.”"
"Enjoy this short UFO story by Mace Styx. Bing A new message. She was glad for a little distraction. Without pausing from walking, she let her fingers skillfully reply to the text. The second she pressed the send button, her music cut back on at full blast startling her. Her phone slipped out of her grip and slammed onto the street. Wincing, she picked it up slowly; still spooked by the event that had just taken place. Her heart was now thumping rapidly. She practically ran to her street before looking both ways. With each step, her chest tightened. There was soon a prickling sensation to go along with it and before long, her body began experiencing feelings she couldn’t explain. She was having cold sweats and heat flashes simultaneously. Her eardrums began throbbing and pulsating as she went to take her next step. It turned out to be a step she never made. Her body felt glued to the spot she stood in. Paranoia had started eating at her when an indistinct ‘hum’ began traveling through the air. It soon grew loud enough to drown out any other sound. When Kimberly’s mouth opened to let out a scream nothing but air came out."
"The Only Tragedy in this Swan Princess is Having No Social Life. You've Heard of Swan Lake? Well, this Dance takes place in a University Far, Far Away. As all the Fairy Tale Kings and Queens are having their Happily Ever Afters, Odette's stuck dancing solo when she wants to be in a romantic duet. But, when her latest catch happens to be a Taxidermist who'd rather stuff a bunny rabbit rather than pet it, how will Odette keep her half life as a Swan hidden from him? Is this a Match Made in Heaven or Happily Never After?"
Audiobook · 1 hr 25 mins
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. George heaved a great sigh, dragging a hand over his face. “Rebecca…do you recall when your mother was pregnant with Orin?” he asked. “I don’t suppose you do.” Rebecca frowned in thought, then shook her head. “Not very well,” she said. “I would have only been around eight years old at the time. But I remembered she was bedridden during the last couple of months, wasn’t she?” “She nearly died.” George replied, and Amelia visibly flinched. Clearly, she remembered that time far better than Rebecca did. “She would have died, and perhaps Orin too… if I had not made a bargain with the fae.” Rebecca gasped. “The fae?” she said, her face going white. “But that’s – father, they’re so dangerous! You can’t trust them!”"
Is There Anyone Here With Us
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. Oliver spoke first, the only one who could initially find their voice and start what they came here to do. “Is anyone here with us?” And just like that, the planchette began to move. Slowly, it made its way to ‘yes’. “Are you the girl they say haunts this bridge?” Charlotte asked. The night around them suddenly got darker, pitch black, and it got windy, with the sound it made under the bridge sounding faintly like screams. The planchette then moved from ‘yes’, to ‘no’. Nora gasped, bringing her free hand to her mouth, looking at Oliver for comfort. He gave her a weak smile, and his gaze went back to the board. “Are you friendly?” He asked. The planchette moved, but immediately went back to ‘no’."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. He looked as if he couldn’t believe what he seeing, and he was both confused and alarmed. He was struggling to explain what he was seeing in English and just decided to convey it with some hand gestures. He showed the two travelers a trace of something that slithered on the ground with a body of at least two feet thick. Jade questioned their guide’s judgment and began to explain to him that what he was describing was borderline mythical. As Jade was explaining, their attention was caught by a sound of rustling in the trees. Hakim carefully moved towards where the noise came from, and his eyes suddenly widened. He pointed to a tree that was roughly ten meters from where they were at… and he whispered “Agogwe! Agogwe!” while desperately trying to contain his excitement from the volume of his voice. Both Dane and Jade had no idea what he was getting all excited about. They steadily stared at the leaves on the branches of the trees that Hakim pointed out, but they could not see anything out of the ordinary. Not far from that tree, they then saw some movements behind the tall bush. “There!” Hakim frantically said as he pointed oto it. Jade had a glimpse of what it was within the shrubs. It had a light copper-toned fur and the crown of the head resembled a small ape’s. “Is that an ape?” Dane asked Hakim when he saw a part of it as well, and his response baffled both of them as they keenly waited for it to reveal itself. “Human-ape,” he said. An agogwe, or the human-ape, was but a cryptid from the tall tales of a few adventurers who claimed to have seen one. This creature was described as an animal with ape-like features but acts like a human. And to their surprise, this mysterious animal slowly walked away with its two feet. The one at the top also revealed itself as it jumped from one tree to another, and a third one also stood up from the bushes to follow the others."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. I remember waking once from a horrible dream, in which I looked down and saw the clown’s enormous mouth, its massive, wall sized face at the end of my bed and felt myself being dragged… dragged though I kicked and screamed, fighting against the covers. Thrashing and flailing for purchase, closer and closer to the red rimmed mouth, filled with murderous hanging teeth that waited, hungry to chew and devour me as the clown continued to smile. Sometimes I would look at the black. The space painted in for the mouth. In the daylight, you could clearly see that it was black paint. You could even sort of make out the brickwork beneath the paint. But at night, at night the clown's fixed smile seemed warped around a space that seemed not to end with the wall, but to extend back, further and further, like a pathway or a tunnel that would go on forever. Looking at it in the half light of that one dodgy striplight, it seemed to go on extending back beyond the surface of the wall and descending down into god knew what, and hell knew where. In this half light, this pressing darkness, the black space of the mouth looked like a bottomless pit. A fleshy gullet and a throat that if you got too close to it, would close around you like the stretching mouth of some great snake and slowly swallow you whole. I never mentioned how much I hated the head. I was embarrassed. Wouldn’t you be? It was only three months into the job that my colleague Andy, another crew member on the front of house team, explained why he didn’t want to do the clean up on his own."
Carcasses of the Sea
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. 'Don’t be a fool! There’s no such thing as aliens, Roxy” Branden said in a tight, strangled voice. “Let’s get Frank out of this damn water.' He wrapped his arms around Frank who was now moaning and wailing like a baby. They all surrounded Frank. Gathering their strength, they heaved him up, and as they began to make their way towards shore. They all heard another thunder-like ricochet. But this time, it was multiple ones, and they were undoubtedly fired at them. They froze in shock as they looked up towards the sky. Racing at them, with menacing swiftness, was a plethora of laser beams. Roxy was the first to realize what was going on. 'I don't know what that thing is, but it wants to kill us.' She wailed. 'Guys, run.'"
Scary Stories 2 Pack: Feed the Beast & Hunt
"Enjoy this 2 pack bundle from Mace Styx. Feed the Beast: He lifted his head and froze with shock. Standing over him, over six feet tall, was a monstrous, goliath of a beast. It had hairs all over its body, staring like an overfed, violent, half-man, half-gorilla. His hair was locked, thick, and long to its waistline. It had red eyes, an enormous nose, crushed ears, and an ugly, twisted mouth. His fingers were long, sharp, and dirty. In his hand, were two long blades dripping with blood. A foul smell emanated from every part of him. Papito lay there, on the floor, as if his body was made of stone. Only his breathing made him alive. He wanted to talk. Scream, yank himself off and fight. But he lay frozen like a helpless stone. This was the ugliest and the most vicious beast he had ever seen in his young, wild life. As he opened his mouth to scream, to warn the men in the room, he felt something sharp hit him in his arms. Hunt: Amari was just right behind me, and I saw with my own eyes how the beast sunk its claws on his shoulders as he caught him. Amari’s scream of agony only lasted for a second. This freak of nature snapped his neck and tore him apart like a ragdoll. I made a sharp turn in hopes that I could escape from its line of sight, but the forest was unending. The entire woods felt like we were in the hunting ground of this monster. I was already out of breath, but I desperately kept on running. I was already losing hope as my tears began to fall. I didn’t find the others, and I also couldn’t tell if I was being followed. As I frantically looked around while blindly running across the shrubs, I fell on a hole that looked like it was a trap for boars. I got stabbed by a number of sharpened sticks installed on the ground. As I began to bleed, I forced to endure the pain when I heard some rustling from above."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. All of a sudden, the light in the room went out, then came back on again. The girls froze in their tracks. They all stared at each other, their eyes regarding one another. Then they began to laugh again. A sickening one that rang through the walls. Then the light went out again. The room was shrouded in a stiffening darkness. The girls waited, but this time, the light never came back on. Fear like the slow thrust of an injection begin to enter their body. “What is going on girls?' Cassie said, her voice shaking. “I don't know' Lisa replied. “I guess there's a problem with the power supply or something.'"
Scary Stories 2 Pack: The Tenant & Bortos Portal
"Tenant: “No.” She admitted, guiltily. “I am sorry. If I enter the darkness, it would grab me before I can fetch you anything to get the fire going.” Sam nodded. He had faced death before. But every time, there was hope, a fighting chance. This time, he could do nothing. “What would happen to you after it kills me?”Emily visibly shuddered. “He will have me, place its scythe through my soul. It allows it to control the agony my soul receives. Then, until the morning, I will keep suffering. Every moment feels like an eternity. I might switch to my other personalities, just to escape the pain.”Sam nodded. So she knew about her condition. He mindlessly reached his gun. At that moment, he truly felt helpless, and at least, he wanted to go out on his own terms.“You have a gun?” Emily asked, eyes wide. “Yes.” He said, but before he could do anything, Emily slapped him.“You idiot, there is gun powder in these bullets right? You can light anything on fire with that.' Bortos: I remember waking once from a horrible dream, in which I looked down and saw the clown’s enormous mouth, its massive, wall sized face at the end of my bed and felt myself being dragged… dragged though I kicked and screamed, fighting against the covers. Thrashing and flailing for purchase, closer and closer to the red rimmed mouth, filled with murderous hanging teeth that waited, hungry to chew and devour me as the clown continued to smile. Sometimes I would look at the black. The space painted in for the mouth. In the daylight, you could clearly see that it was black paint. You could even sort of make out the brickwork beneath the paint. But at night, at night the clown's fixed smile seemed warped around a space that seemed not to end with the wall, but to extend back, further and further, like a pathway or a tunnel that would go on forever."
Mace Styx (Author), Katrina Medina , Mace Styx (Narrator)
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. As expected, Elly had her head and eyes pointed down at the party. She remained seated on the couch, keeping to her shy self, and refused to mingle with the other students no matter how Hazel tried to push. In Hazel’s mind, her friend had to build some confidence when interacting with others whether she wanted to or not. Hazel kept on handing her cups of punch which she kept on drinking since she had nothing else to do. After just a few cups, the alcohol kicked in, & Elly began to finally loosen up a bit. She finally lifted her head and looked up at the people around her. Both of them began to walk around the house and Elly began to attempt to socialize with the others. Hazel kept on interjecting with other groups, while Elly was behind her awkwardly saying ‘hi’ and ‘hello’ with a goofy smile plastered on her face. Some of the drunk students were actually happy since they never saw Elly behave in such a way before. She seemed to be coming out of her shell."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. He lifted his head and froze with shock. Standing over him, over six feet tall, was a monstrous, goliath of a beast. It had hairs all over its body, staring like an overfed, violent, half-man, half-gorilla. His hair was locked, thick, and long to its waistline. It had red eyes, an enormous nose, crushed ears, and an ugly, twisted mouth. His fingers were long, sharp, and dirty. In his hand, were two long blades dripping with blood. A foul smell emanated from every part of him. Papito lay there, on the floor, as if his body was made of stone. Only his breathing made him alive. He wanted to talk. Scream, yank himself off and fight. But he lay frozen like a helpless stone. This was the ugliest and the most vicious beast he had ever seen in his young, wild life. As he opened his mouth to scream, to warn the men in the room, he felt something sharp hit him in his arms."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. “So? It’s not like it’s going to kill her or anything. She might just have to go to the hospital for a couple of hours,” Cody said, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, after everything she’s done to us, who cares if she gets sick? She shouldn’t be a teacher if she can’t handle it.” Derek couldn’t think of a counter argument to that nonsense. Telling Cody they could get in big trouble would have sailed right over his head, because Cody didn’t care about being sent home. He lived in the moment and treated the future as something he had no control over. “There!” Cody said triumphantly, mashing pieces of apple into the muffin. They hurried to sit down and made themselves look busy as other students began to wander in, chattering amongst themselves. Derek sat stiffly, but nobody else even glanced at the muffin. Cody grinned at him across the room and gave him a thumbs-up. “Everyone stop talking! You should be in your seats!!” There was no mistaking that screech. The students quickly hurried to their seats and sat down as Mrs. Gordonson came in, resplendent in dull browns and greens as usual. She scowled as her watery eyes took in the class. “I really expect better than this,” she sighed, shutting the door loudly behind her, making the people in the front row flinch. “I have your tests back from yesterday and frankly, I don’t know if some of you are asleep during my lessons, but clearly you weren’t paying attention.”"
Scary Stories 2 Pack: Traxxx & Scars of the Green
"Enjoy this 2 pack of scary stories by Mace Styx. Traxxx & Scars of the Green. Perhaps some heavy sheet of twisted metal, the engine or outer frame of his vehicle. He scoured his memory, trying to recall what he had been doing immediately before he had awoken, the account came back blank. Like the times he had drunken himself into a blackout, he had clearly lost time, where the memory should be there was nothing, just a blank void, a gap in the recording. Maybe, he considered, he had decided, against his better judgment, to drive home after a heavy drinking bout. That would account for the lost time and he admitted begrudgingly, for the accident he supposed himself to have caused. Okay, he thought, the past could wait. The first thing was to work out what was going on right now and to do something about it. The thing was not to kick and flail but to assess the situation, to work out what he could and could not move and get some idea of what his situation actually was. “Okay” he spoke to himself aloud. “Calm down and try to move your feet.” Firing instructions at himself in this fashion did seem to settle him slightly and he was able to steady himself enough to actually carry it out. To his surprise and relief, his feet moved easily from side to side. There was no question that he was able to move them but also that they were unable to help because everything from the lower shin up was fastened in place. That meant he wasn’t paralyzed, but rather, pinned. “Okay, now try to raise your head,” he again announced out loud and again was able, in response to his own command, to complete the action, though almost instantly he wished he hadn’t. For within seconds of his head elevating itself from the ground, he was able to take in everything, his situation, his surroundings and the true horror of his predicament. He was not pinned, but tied."
Scary Stories 2 Pack: Mount Lico & Elly
"Lico: He looked as if he couldn’t believe what he seeing, and he was both confused and alarmed. He was struggling to explain what he was seeing in English and just decided to convey it with some hand gestures. He showed the two travelers a trace of something that slithered on the ground with a body of at least two feet thick. Jade questioned their guide’s judgement and began to explain to him that what he was describing was borderline mythical. As Jade was explaining, their attention was caught by a sound of rustling in the trees. Hakim carefully moved towards where the noise came from, and his eyes suddenly widened. He pointed to a tree that was roughly ten meters from where they were at… and he whispered “Agogwe! Agogwe!” while desperately trying to contain his excitement from the volume of his voice. Both Dane and Jade had no idea what he was getting all excited about. They steadily stared at the leaves on the branches of the trees that Hakim pointed out, but they could not see anything out of the ordinary. Not far from that tree, they then saw some movements behind the tall bush. Elly: As expected, Elly had her head and eyes pointed down at the party. She remained seated on the couch, keeping to her shy self, and refused to mingle with the other students no matter how Hazel tried to push. In Hazel’s mind, her friend had to build some confidence when interacting with others whether she wanted to or not. Hazel kept on handing her cups of punch which she kept on drinking since she had nothing else to do. After just a few cups, the alcohol kicked in, & Elly began to finally loosen up a bit. She finally lifted her head and looked up at the people around her."
Scary Stories 2 Pack: Sally & Deep Ash
"Enjoy this 2 pack by Mace Styx. Sally “That’s enough Ryan. Let your dad go make his report. He has a big meeting this morning.” “I’ll be home later today son and you can tell me all about this strange dream you had ok.” No one was going to believe anything I said. I had to stop speaking before they start thinking I was crazy. Mom asked about it again later that day but I didn’t want to talk about it. She suggested that it was the stress from the previous day that gave me such a scary dream. I wanted to believe her but it was just too real. Later in the day, mom was in the kitchen learning new recipes for Christmas from a cookbook she found. She asked me to be her taste tester. But I wasn’t so interested because something else was on my mind. I told her that everything was good just so that I could entertain her and get out. Deep Ash “Guys, it’s open!” Robert inspected the door and called them. When they turned their heads, they saw him standing right next to the opened door of the dead tree. “I’m not getting inside that creepy thing,” said Marcela. “But we don’t have a choice. These crows are crazy. With that large number, we’ll be brutally torn to pieces if they attack us. Come on,” said Regan. He grabbed Marcela’s hand and walked back to the old tree. “Wait!” their guide Freddie suddenly yelled. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to go in there. I don’t want to believe the stories, but have you heard about the Baba Yaga?” he asked. “Yes, we do. A witch that was responsible for the missing people who enter the woods and never returned, Right? That’s why we are here to begin with. But seriously, now is not the time to believe in such BS. It’s getting really dark and I don’t want to be the dinner of those crazy crows,” Robert responded."
Scary Stories 2 Pack: Poppet & Putrid
"Enjoy Poppet by Mace Styx. (Almost whispering) “In reality, in real actual life, that kind of magic doesn’t belong to one group and the object doesn’t have to look like them at all. It doesn't even have to look like a person. As long as you wish, dream and know hard enough, it can be anything. A stick, a leaf, a piece of fruit, a candle. My Grandmother used to do with an egg. She would write the name of the person onto the surface of a hen’s egg and then...picking up a rock she would smash! Smash! Smash! the top, so that it fractured and dented, yolk spilling and oozing out everywhere! (Quietly) The next day you would hear that the named person had experienced a very nasty accident. Enjoy Putrid by Mace Styx: Standing in a room filled with sharp and heavy objects I had seen some form of I don’t know what, an apparition? A ghost? Yet, I had not been harmed. Standing stock still, I considered. In those stories, those urban legends and public warnings about the dangers of discarded appliances there was no malevolent element, no wicked long toothed demon emerging through the wires. Shaking my head and sure that I would probably regret the decision, I did possibly the bravest and possibly the stupidest thing I have ever done. I went back into the room. The fridge door was still wide open, the gaping chasm and its grisly contents shielded from view. Holding the top of the door I stepped around it and again reluctantly peered inside. Lank, innocent celery, days old bean salad and the same squat, mocking tomatoes. Nothing sinister. I closed the fridge door and was oddly unsurprised to find that the letters had changed once again. This time, to a name. “David Franks”, and a set of numbers. Numbers, I almost recognized."
"Enjoy this short story by Zorella C Tyanne. “Learned from the best.” She pecked him on his hat and picked up her bag to leave when his next words stopped her in her tracks. “I need some tools from the shop. I’ll text Timmy, he’ll have them on the counter before you reach there.” She looked at his gentle face and pleaded with her eyes to not make her do this but deep down, she knew it would happen sooner or later. “You can’t hide forever.” He gave her the smile he only reserved for her and she nodded and left before he could say something else. *** The workshop building stood proud with her father’s hard-work manifesting from every brick. She could see that business was thriving from the number of cars in the display windows, all shiny and ready to drive off into the sunset. She parked her father’s Mustang at the front, not wanting to go in the worker’s parking. Getting out of the car, she lowered her cap as a force of habit before remembering where she was and shook her head. She had barely taken a step forward when she heard someone yell out and almost went back inside the car before she saw who it was. “Lissy!” She heard before she was engulfed in a bear hug. “Timmy!” She yelled back into the hug."
Zorella C Tyanne (Author), Katrina Medina (Narrator)
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. “That’s enough Ryan. Let your dad go make his report. He has a big meeting this morning.” “I’ll be home later today son and you can tell me all about this strange dream you had ok.” No one was going to believe anything I said. I had to stop speaking before they start thinking I was crazy. Mom asked about it again later that day but I didn’t want to talk about it. She suggested that it was the stress from the previous day that gave me such a scary dream. I wanted to believe her but it was just too real. Later in the day, mom was in the kitchen learning new recipes for Christmas from a cookbook she found. She asked me to be her taste tester. But I wasn’t so interested because something else was on my mind. I told her that everything was good just so that I could entertain her and get out. I wanted to know now what were in those rooms upstairs and why they had been locked. They were the only rooms that were locked in the house. Nobody else seemed to even care."
Goldilocks and the Three Bears Barbershop
"If you thought Rapunzel had hair problems, you haven't read anything yet! On the Happily Ever After University campus, Goldilocks is one of the harshest critics you'll ever meet. Her scathing reviews have made this Fairy Tale character one to avoid. But, when Goldilocks' naturally straight hair is short one curling iron, how is she going to do her hairdo? Can Goldilocks find help in her dormmates, the Little Mermaid, Rapunzel and Thumbelina or will she have to change her name to Baldilocks instead? "
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx “Guys, it’s open!” Robert inspected the door and called them. When they turned their heads, they saw him standing right next to the opened door of the dead tree. “I’m not getting inside that creepy thing,” said Marcela. “But we don’t have a choice. These crows are crazy. With that large number, we’ll be brutally torn to pieces if they attack us. Come on,” said Regan. He grabbed Marcela’s hand and walked back to the old tree. “Wait!” their guide Freddie suddenly yelled. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to go in there. I don’t want to believe the stories, but have you heard about the Baba Yaga?” he asked. “Yes, we do. A witch that was responsible for the missing people who enter the woods and never returned, Right? That’s why we are here to begin with. But seriously, now is not the time to believe in such BS. It’s getting really dark and I don’t want to be the dinner of those crazy crows,” Robert responded. In the midst of their argument, the crows gradually began their attack. A few of the hovering ones sharply descended with their talons wide open and bills pointed forward. One of them came to Dylan and scraped him on the shoulder. The sharp claw tore right through his shirt and it left a deep cut. Dylan yelled in pain."
Thumbelina Takes Flight
"It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's... Thumbelina? Believe It or Not, Thumbelina isn't just walking on air, she's practically soaring through it! How can a thumb sized girl from the farm fly without wings? And what's Tinker Bell scheming up to? Now that Thumbelina can fly can she handle the ongoing pressures of: working a barista job at the campus coffee shop? Set in a magical land of Happily Ever After University, 'Thumbelina Takes Flight' is a short story for those beginning how to read. "
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx: Amari was just right behind me, and I saw with my own eyes how the beast sunk its claws on his shoulders as he caught him. Amari’s scream of agony only lasted for a second. This freak of nature snapped his neck and tore him apart like a ragdoll. I made a sharp turn in hopes that I could escape from its line of sight, but the forest was unending. The entire woods felt like we were in the hunting ground of this monster. I was already out of breath, but I desperately kept on running. I was already losing hope as my tears began to fall. I didn’t find the others, and I also couldn’t tell if I was being followed. As I frantically looked around while blindly running across the shrubs, I fell on a hole that looked like it was a trap for boars. I got stabbed by a number of sharpened sticks installed on the ground. As I began to bleed, I forced to endure the pain when I heard some rustling from above. I immediately covered my wounds with soil, thinking that it might detect the smell of blood. I tried to remain perfectly still beneath the piles of leaves, and I saw the beast sniffing the ground as if it was tracking me. My heart almost jumped out of my chest as I tried to hold my breath."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. (Almost whispering) “In reality, in real actual life, that kind of magic doesn’t belong to one group and the object doesn’t have to look like them at all. It doesn't even have to look like a person. As long as you wish, dream and know hard enough, it can be anything. A stick, a leaf, a piece of fruit, a candle. My Grandmother used to do with an egg. She would write the name of the person onto the surface of a hen’s egg and then...picking up a rock she would smash! Smash! Smash! the top, so that it fractured and dented, yolk spilling and oozing out everywhere! (Quietly) The next day you would hear that the named person had experienced a very nasty accident. That they'd been hit by a car or fallen from some great height and that their skull had somehow been smashed or split open, blood spilling slowly out...like yolk.”"
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. The light from the fire against the tent cast some strange shadows, but nothing out of the ordinary, as Tony whispered that it was probably Bumi going to pee in the foliage. Leaning slowly to one side I raised the flap of the tent and stared out. Panic gripped me when I suddenly realized that the tent opposite, Bumi’s tent, was empty. Not only that, but his backpack was missing. Why would he take his stuff if he’s just going to pee? I asked myself and then Tony, out loud. In response he told me not to panic. Surely wherever Bumi had gone he would be back by morning. I was less convinced. Staring out through the small triangular entrance of the tent, past the glow of the fire, I could see the few splashes of illumination on the leaves, a deep verdant green that faded only a few feet back into a sea of all encompassing black. I resolved to close the flap, to lie back down and wait for Bumi's return the following morning. I would have done just that, had the sounds not changed. From somewhere, deep with the twisted mess of tree limbs and leaves, vines and saplings, a chorus of sound erupted, as birds, insects and small monkeys began to scream and holler as one. I stared at Tony, whose mouth seemed to have fallen open and then fixed my gaze back onto the first and the sound, which was not only growing louder, but closer. It was like watching footage of a tsunami, a great wave creeping closer, its progress huge, rapid and inevitable. As whatever was disturbing the wildlife moved forwards so too, did the wall of sound, as a new layer of creatures panicked and screeched in retreat and terror. It was then that I saw the light."
Beauty and the Beast's Break-up
"The news is all over campus and social media: Beauty and the Beast have officially broken up. And while Beau is sitting around and wallowing in misery eating ice cream, it's up to Red, formally Little Red Riding Hood, and Thumbelina to help their fellow college student up. Will Beau find a new man or is someone coming back with his tail tucked between his legs?"
Rapunzel's Lice Problem
"Have you heard the news? It's all over campus! Rapunzel, you know, the blonde with the really long hair? Turns out she's got an infestation of lice and it's harder to know what's spreading faster: the louse or the gossip. It's up to Thumbelina to go in and destroy the very last lice egg and save Rapunzel from a lifetime of hazing. But when the ever mischievous Tinker Bell also plays into the mix, can Rapunzel hope to save her reputation or her hair?"
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styxx. Perhaps some heavy sheet of twisted metal, the engine or outer frame of his vehicle. He scoured his memory, trying to recall what he had been doing immediately before he had awoken, the account came back blank. Like the times he had drunken himself into a blackout, he had clearly lost time, where the memory should be there was nothing, just a blank void, a gap in the recording. Maybe, he considered, he had decided, against his better judgment, to drive home after a heavy drinking bout. That would account for the lost time and he admitted begrudgingly, for the accident he supposed himself to have caused. Okay, he thought, the past could wait. The first thing was to work out what was going on right now and to do something about it. The thing was not to kick and flail but to assess the situation, to work out what he could and could not move and get some idea of what his situation actually was. “Okay” he spoke to himself aloud. “Calm down and try to move your feet.” Firing instructions at himself in this fashion did seem to settle him slightly and he was able to steady himself enough to actually carry it out. To his surprise and relief, his feet moved easily from side to side. There was no question that he was able to move them but also that they were unable to help because everything from the lower shin up was fastened in place. That meant he wasn’t paralyzed, but rather, pinned. “Okay, now try to raise your head,” he again announced out loud and again was able, in response to his own command, to complete the action, though almost instantly he wished he hadn’t. For within seconds of his head elevating itself from the ground, he was able to take in everything, his situation, his surroundings and the true horror of his predicament. He was not pinned, but tied."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx: Standing in a room filled with sharp and heavy objects I had seen some form of I don’t know what, an apparition? A ghost? Yet, I had not been harmed. Standing stock still, I considered. In those stories, those urban legends and public warnings about the dangers of discarded appliances there was no malevolent element, no wicked long toothed demon emerging through the wires. Shaking my head and sure that I would probably regret the decision, I did possibly the bravest and possibly the stupidest thing I have ever done. I went back into the room. The fridge door was still wide open, the gaping chasm and its grisly contents shielded from view. Holding the top of the door I stepped around it and again reluctantly peered inside. Lank, innocent celery, days old bean salad and the same squat, mocking tomatoes. Nothing sinister. I closed the fridge door and was oddly unsurprised to find that the letters had changed once again. This time, to a name. “David Franks”, and a set of numbers. Numbers, I almost recognized. C2,31A was the name of the uber-cool cafe close to the university, where I would spend half of my time studying and the other half trying to pick up chicks. The cafe’s odd name, in a too clever decision achingly desperate to be hipster, was the grid reference in the A to Z road map under which the cafe’s location fell. Square C2 along the top, 31 A along the side. Find that grid reference on the map and ‘tada’! You would find the cafe. The numbers on my fridge were C2, 31B, which I knew, even without looking, would be the grid reference for the cemetery next door. What else could I do?"
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. He counted out the money for the payment of their order, and handed it to me. And then he pulled out another two hundred bucks, and showed it to me. He told me that he would give me a couple of hundred bucks if I deliver a package for them. If I do, the receiving end would also give me another two hundred when I arrive. In my head, I could not believe that I would easily receive that kind of money for just delivering a package. I knew that there was a catch... The other guy brought out a small ice box that was tightly sealed with layers and layers of tape around it. He placed it beside me, and the guy at the door waved the two hundred in front of my face, as if to persuade me. I stared at the package and wondered what could be inside of it, and why was it sealed so tightly like that. I extended my shaking hand and accepted the cash without thinking twice. I was broke. And there was money in front of me. I did what I did to stay alive. The potheads smiled and clapped their hands like a bunch of circus animals. It was probably something illegal, but I didn’t really mind. I needed the money, and that was all I cared about. They were probably too stoned to deliver the package themselves. That’s what I was convincing myself. He gave me the address and handed me a phone. I thought that these guys were way too trusting for someone that they just met. But then one of them mentioned that he saw me at the diner before. He was a regular customer there he said. So it would be easy for him to track me down if I hustle them. Given the situation, I just took the icebox and went ahead. I had no plans on hustling them. I just wanted to make some easy fats money."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx: I wiped the sweat of my face, and the fear that I felt in my dream was translated into reality when I noticed something on my arm. There were marks around my wrist that eerily resembled the exact spot Randy grabbed me. I wanted to fool myself and think that it was just a crazy coincidence, but I could clearly see the mark of his long fingers. I almost screamed when my alarm clock suddenly rang. It was time to prepare for work. I wanted to forget what happened that night, but the worst was yet to come… I came home really exhausted after doing some overtime yet again. There were too many customers that day from morning till night, and I barely had any time to breathe. The weird thing that happened to me the night before had left my mind, but I was about to be reminded soon enough. I was back on the same bridge where I was at last night, and there was Randy sitting behind the post once again. Because I remembered him scowling at me last time, I decided to ignore his brooding and just walk passed him."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. At a town meeting it was suggested that the border point be better enforced. That by allowing the others across, we were somehow allowing wolves in sheep’s clothing to enter into our town. That amongst those fleeing bullets and bombs, were a few who hid weapons of their own and who meant to feed on the local population. A few stood to oppose such a view but were shouted down by two men screaming about how the 'others' had brought the curse with them, that while they themselves might not be vampires, they had carried the smell of death with them and the creatures had followed it. Somehow and some way, they were desperate to lay the blame with those who had come from outside. It was fascinating and horrifying to see at the same time. When the next victim, a young woman named Anya was taken, the calls for answers became louder. It was a week later that the signs began to appear. Signs stating that nobody from other communities was welcome. That businesses would be closed and that they should move on to other towns. There was even talk, on the night of the church meeting, that no one from other communities should be allowed inside of this one. In the end they were allowed inside, but as I mentioned, they were isolated, confined to a corner and made to feel unwelcome. While the rest of the congregation eyed one another with suspicion."
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx: 'Still, despite my mother’s warnings and the strange feelings that her less specific warnings gave me. I didn’t want to look like a coward in front of Andy and Mike, so instead of protesting or sharing what my mom had said. I instead clambered up the iron ladder, plonked myself down cross legged on the roof and prepared myself for the process by cracking open a preparatory beer. Andy, as always, was marvelously melodramatic. He pulled out the board with an almost hushed reverence, clearing the space on the ground of the loose stones and bottle caps we had left on our previous visits. Laying a small black cloth onto the ground as a cushion, before placing the board gently on top of it. Mike and I shared a glance and a knowing smile as Andy produced the planchette and broke into an introductory speech that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Hammer horror movie. He warned us that the Ouija board was a strange and mysterious object, that the spirits could be both temperamental and deceptive. That we might not get any responses at all and that while speaking to the dead might offer us great insight, they might also terrify us with the naked truth of their answers. “Naked”? Mike echoed, his hormones jumping into action at the slightest suggestion of anything raunchy.'"
"Enjoy this short story by Mace Styx. When Tim one day made the mistake of wearing shorts at school, revealing how sticklike and sickly thin his legs were, one of the many vitriolic idiots referred to them as ‘spindle’ legs. The comparison wasn’t entirely accurate, but somehow the word had a particular connotation of legs that were twig thin, willowy and bone like. For whatever reason, the name stuck and for the next four years Tim was referred to by the majority of the school population as ‘Spindles’. While Tim hated this moniker it was preferable to the more obviously pejorative terms like ‘cripple’ that sometimes reared their ugly heads and certainly better than ‘six limbs’, which one imaginative pupil had christened him on account of his having arms, legs, and crutches. So often and with such little shame was this ‘nickname’ used, that it became common even for those not wishing to hurt his feelings to use it as if it were his birth name. When he received certificates in classes at the end of each year, some of his teachers, not recognizing that the name was a cruel label rather than an affectionate pet name. Actually used it on the document, presenting the award for best essay or highest test score not to Tim Overton but to ‘Spindles’. Tim had not even left the school grounds before he had torn them to shreds."
"Enjoy short stories by Mace Styx. So it was with a great wave of relief that we approached the scene and found blue flashing lights already throwing their ominous glow on the road when we arrived. Somewhere to the left of where the ambulance was parked, two paramedics were hunched over a figure that had been covered with several of those tinfoil like sheets stopping people from going into shock as a result of exposure to the cold. I remember seeing that small silver mass, a hunched lump like a giant jacket potato and seeing from the bottom left of the mass one perfectly formed female foot. Complete with painted blue toenails and pale ivory skin, protruding from the bottom. It rested, limp against the tarmac as the paramedics, leaning over the mass, spoke in that slow, over pronounced shout that they always use when trying to reassure someone who has been the victim of an accident. “You just stay there love, we’ll get you onto the trolley soon enough and then we can have a look at you and the baby. okay? You just keep squeezing my hand and hang in there okay?” one of the paramedics boomed, his large hairy hand engulfing the poor woman’s as he spoke. No answer came from the mass, but I thought I saw the tiny hand clasped within his squeeze a little tighter."
"Enjoy short stories by Mace Styx: Curiosity got mixed with raw fear and it made me speak, although all I could say was, ''Hello?'' I swear to God if anyone had responded, I would have died of a heart attack. Luckily for me, no one did. That calmed me down a bit, but my camera was still on, and, well, that was a problem to me. I had no idea who turned it on, and what was even scarier, who was watching me? I moved a cursor across the screen, and there wasn't an option to turn it off. It was seemed like whoever created this site wanted to see its visitors faces. Probably because of the bone-chilling camera turning on thing, I didn't realize on the right side of the screen was a list of contacts. Well, not exactly contacts, more like a list of options you have. I went through them and finally made my biggest mistake. I chose the one which sounded the most interesting to me. It was titled ''the ritual''. If you ask me now, why did I do that instead of just leaving, I will not be able to answer you, because I don't frikin’ know. It felt almost like I was drawn to it. What happened next was pretty disturbing. Some sort of video presentation started. A dark figure of a man covered in, what seemed like an ancient priest garment turned up. And it spoke with a very unsettling, deep, nonhuman voice. It took me a moment, but then I realized that his voice was edited to sound like that. It didn't feel like he was talking to me in particular, and that gave me some kind of inner peace."
Making an Ass out of Pinocchia: A Humorous Satirical Crossover between the Daughter of Pinocchio, Thumbelina, Tom Thumb and other wacky Fairy Tale Characters
"You've read the story of Pinocchio, but have you read the story of his daughter, Pinocchia? In this wacky satire, watch as Pinocchio's daughter gets into trouble in a world of smartphones, night clubs and, let's not forget, Jackasses! Watch and laugh seeing the adult adventures of Pinocchia as she crosses over with other Fairy Tale characters such as Thumbelina, Tom Thumb, Odette and many many more!"
Audiobook · 1 hr 9 mins
The Trouble with Tinker Bell: A Humorous Satirical Crossover between Thumbelina, Tom Thumb and Tinker Bell and other wacky Fairy Tale Characters
"What's a Farm Girl to do when a cute boy asks her out on a date but a Fairy doesn't approve? Thumbelina's a long way from home and on campus, studying hard to find her Happily Ever After. So when the Tom Thumb of legend asks her out for lunch and Tinker Bell doesn't approve, does Thumbelina go with her gut or does she run faster out of college than a jack rabbit? Join this funny adventure when Thumbelina crosses over with Tinkerbell, Tom Thumb, Odette from Swan Lake and other beloved Fairy Tale characters!"
Two Peas in a Pod: A Humorous Crossover featuring Sleeping Beauty, Thumbelina, The Princess, The Pea and Tinkerbell
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Thumbelina, Sleeping Beauty, Tinkerbell and the Princess and the Pea all hung out together in the same college? Wonder no more! In this funny short story, witness as Thumbelina sees Sleeping Beauty and The Princess and the Pea switch sleep schedules in this wacky comedy. Perfect for kids learning to read and lovers of Fairy Tale satires and crossovers!"
Audiobook · 1 hr 2 mins
The Creature Underneath the Waves
"Enjoy short stories by Mace Styx: More tendrils wrapped around Pearl and lifted her bodily into the air. She shrieked, but the sound was drowned out by the screaming of the gulls and the deep rumbling from the creature. It held her high up in the air, above that glowing amber eye, which seemed to drink in the sight of the squirming creature in its grip, easily stripping away her defenses. In fact, there almost seemed to be something wise in its lone eye, like it could understand her suffering. Perhaps it was unfair to assign malice to the creature – at the end of the day, wasn’t it simply an animal fulfilling its basic need to hunt? Although hunting implied that she’d ever had a chance to escape. Then, it spoke. “I know who you are.” Pearl’s entire body jerked in the leviathan’s grip, shocked. But how was it speaking? “I can reach into your mind, Pearl. You do not need to be afraid.” Pearl’s gaze searched that huge, unblinking eye, which stared calmly back at her. “Then…you’re not going to eat me?” “No. I am not.” Another, smaller tentacle, rose up and brushed over the wounds on her ankles. Something cold touched her and Pearl jolted before glancing down, sticking out a foot and seeing seaweed wrapped around her ankle, the slimy surface of the leaves surprisingly soothing on her chafed-raw flesh. The tingling indicated that it had some kind of antiseptic properties, too – she couldn’t believe she had never thought of that before. “But the villagers leave people here for you to eat,” she said. “People they want to sacrifice. If you don’t eat them, what happens to them?” “That is up to you.” Replied the Leviathan."
"Enjoy short stories by Mace Styx: Most often were those inner thoughts that were full of hate. And just like any other ordinary bloke who obtained such remarkable skill, I used it to gain some practical advantage for my daily needs and leisure. With an ability to hear thoughts, winning on a poker game was a breeze. It was quite handy for picking up women as well, and it was easy to impress other people by presenting it as some kind of magic or a trick. But there was no trick whatsoever. Even if I didn’t want to, I would keep on hearing their thoughts as long as they were in a close perimeter. I decided to quit my day job and relied mainly on gambling for money. I thought that there was no point in keeping it when I could earn my monthly pay on a single night pretty easily. Nothing could be more addicting than to gamble while knowing that you would always win. I lived a fancy life for a few days before I got banned from the casinos because of my suspicious winning streak. I ended up playing in underground houses. Unfortunately, constantly winning in every sessions have brought serious troubles for me."
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