And They All Look Just the Same

By Nikki McCormack

And They All Look Just the Same is a dark fantasy short story that delves into the sinister power of mob mentality.

 

The magician and his apprentice have only their talents to offer in trade for an occasional meal but stopping in small, poverty-stricken villages is always a last resort. These audiences are difficult to please and quick to temper. In desperation, the magician will try this village and hope it isn't just the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elysium Books
• Release date: Mar 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386039082

Book preview

And They All Look Just the Same

Dread settles in the magician’s stomach.

Flickering candles on tables and in wall sconces add a surreal light to an otherwise unremarkable, musty common room. A warm fire in a crumbling hearth flickers and dances, moving to a different tune than the sputtering candles scattered about. Perhaps it moves to windsong flowing down the chimney or to the moan of restless spirits drifting in the night. Each rippling spire of blue flame draws the eye teasingly, flickering to life then vanishing quickly within waves of lapping orange and white fire. It’s like the face of a lost loved one appearing in a crowd for just a moment, long enough to torment, never long enough to appease.

Barefooted wenches serve slabs of meat—heavily spiced to conceal the age—and watered-down ale to the patrons. Not one of them,