Short Stories
Collecting Fall Leaves
Flights of Fantasy
Iron Faerie Publishing 10/16/2023
Dive into a realm where magic knows no bounds, and legends come to life.
From the mystical depths of ancient forests to the soaring heights of dragon filled skies, these tales will transport you to worlds where heroes rise, kingdoms clash, and the extraordinary becomes ordinary.
Whether you seek epic adventures, tales of mystical creatures, or stories of unlikely heroes, this anthology has it all!
Prepare to be spellbound and experience the magic of an entire universe in a single book.
Excerpt
The flyer lay on her kitchen table as Monica worked on her prize. One perfect red maple leaf lay under her iron, wax paper above and beneath it. A towel was in between her appliance and the assembly to protect her new prize. She ran the hot iron—no steam setting for this operation—over the towel, pressing evenly on the item underneath.
Have you seen this man? The simple black and white image gazed out from the handout. Per the text on the page, his last known appearance was when he had shown up at the local packie where he’d been turned away for more than one reason. He had not been seen since, though his car was found abandoned by the side of the road a day later.
Normally, Monica liked to collect more than one leaf before performing this operation, but she’d had no time to wait for more. This sole item had to be dealt with now.
She checked to ensure that the wax had melted to form a perfect seal. Somewhere a tiny voice shouted something too distant to hear. Monica hummed to herself and the noise vanished.
A cat eyed her from the floor before meowing and rubbing against her. If he heard the noise, he gave no sign. He tried to jump up onto the table, but Monica pushed him back with a firm hand. He had showed three days ago, after his owner had disappeared.
She liked to press leaves for a week before sealing them in wax, to ensure they had not rotted. Though she doubted this one would—more than it already had, she followed her process as usual. The difference was, this was the sole leaf waiting in the wax paper.