Fantastic, Fun, Free Fiction for Friday's Foundation

Just another round of free fiction from some great sites.  More later.












Fiction
• At Author's Site: "A Vampire’s Family Values" by Sara Walker. Noir Urban Fantasy.
     "The setting autumn sun turned blood red behind the castle - like house . This was the lush area next to the Ottawa River, Lake Street in Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa's wealthiest district, home to ambassadors and politicians , and yet instead of feeling abundandant, the neighbourhood felt cold and lifeless . Fingerprints, like bread crumbs, had led us to the home of Army Colonel Gregor Renko, recently widowed."

• At Daily Science Fiction: "For Sale by Owner" by Kate Heartfield. Fantasy.
     "Ron allowed himself one shallow breath before gripping his cane and creaking to his feet. There was no need to rush. More than a century before, he had counted the steps that would take him from his watching-chair, across his living room, through his front door, off the porch, and across the expanse of rock to the cliff. Ron knew, likewise, the number of steps a jumper needed to hike to the top of the rock face they called The Ridge."

• At HiLobrow: "The Man with Six Senses - Part 5" by Muriel Jaeger. Science Fiction. 1927.
     "I said, 'You are giving this thing undue importance. What you have told me is very interesting — as a curiosity, that is. But, after all, what does this odd sensibility of Bristowe’s amount to? Can it actually do more for him than an ordinary man can do with his eyes? Even if it could penetrate underground with any reliability. …'"

Flash Fiction

• At Every Day Fiction: "Three Wishes" by Cat Rambo. Fantasy.
• At Planet Magazine: "Making Minds" by Sean Goedecke. Science Fiction.
• At 365 Tomorrows: "Siren Song" by Duncan Shields. Science Fiction.

Audio Fiction
• At Clarkesworld: "Shepherds" by Greg Kurzawa.
     "The lioness ambushed Abel’s flock as he herded them down from the high pastures. Dropping soundlessly from a rocky ledge along the sheep path, she landed on a lamb not six months old. The flock scattered. Turning to confront Abel, the beast rose to her hind legs and opened her claws. Her ears lie flat, her tail thrashed. From her mouth hung the lamb, scrawny legs kicking."

• At Classic Tales Podcast: "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe. Dark Fantasy. 
      "The vainglorious Prince Prospero seeks to cheat a devilish plague ravaging the countryside. Can he procure a truly secret and separate hiding place from The Red Death?"

• At LibriVox: "The Hunting of the Snark" by Lewis Carroll. (direct MP3 download)  in LibriVox 8th Anniversary Collection
     "Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried, / As he landed his crew with care; / Supporting each man on the top of the tide / By a finger entwined in his hair."

• At Tales to Terrify: "At the Mountains of Madness - Part 2" by H. P. Lovecraft. Horror.
     "I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why. It is altogether against my will that I tell my reasons for opposing this contemplated invasion of the antarctic - with its vast fossil hunt and its wholesale boring and melting of the ancient ice caps. And I am the more reluctant because my warning may be in vain."