In Gothikas Res

Catching the Scythe

When full moonbeams hit St Barquistes, listen.
The stony buttresses live; not only flesh can pass away.
In the gloom of grief, under black rainbows, the gargoyles sing: some in Hebrew, some Latin or French; others still, Aramaic.
But heed their canticle; listen for names.
And if any named are those you love, spend time with them while you can.

Be warned:
In the stillness.
In the dark.
When full moonbeams hit St Barquistes.

Watchman

From the thunderheads of November to the kingfisher skies of summer; under corbeled vaults and beeswax cloisters, I’ve watched them, oftentimes my voice their only company.
They perished, their Eden turned to my Gethsemane and I felt the science of time develop emotions; grief.
I shall remember them.
But I’ll tick no more. The brass sun of my pendulum will hereafter set.
This day will be forever remembered in my stillness;
Not broken, just loyal.

Christopher Bean

My first published work is the story ‘Jumbled-up Jack’ in The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel (Woodbridge Press, 2016) anthology (See Cemetery Dance review here). Since then I’ve had several flash fiction pieces published by Haringey Unchained, some of which are included here. My first long-form, Victorian horror novel The Pegge and the Pendrel is finished and looking for a home. I’m working on companion books set in the same universe, designed to be read in any order. I started writing in 2009 focusing on shorts and awkward, wretched little things that were too long to be short and too short to be novellas. On Bluesky, not Twitter.