Dark Tales: eVolume Two

By Elle Chambers

Four unsettling tales to read in the dark. For fans of Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Darkside:

"Obituary": She was known by her colleagues as “Lady Death.” Of all the monikers Gretchen Huggins had acquired over the years—Weirdo, Mouth-breather, Lesbian Succubitch from Hell—that one was the most accurate description. When one of Gretchen's coworkers makes a play for a job at The Enquirer she believes is rightfully hers, she discovers just how accurate her nickname truly is.

"Recalling Past Lives": Carl Willis visits his ailing grandfather in the hospital and hears a disturbing confession that may or may not be the delusions of a dementia-addled brain.

"Old Flame": After twenty years of longing, Randall gets to spend the night with his childhood crush. But a lot has changed since they were in high school and the dream of his youth may be a real nightmare.

"Lost and Found": Twelve-year-old Josephine Harvey has a favorite teacher named Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones has a predilection for pain—and small children. What happens when he offers her a ride home from school one day is a chilling study of abuse, imprisonment, and terror.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Indie Spirit Press
• Release date: Oct 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311527103

Elle Chambers

Elle Chambers writes dark and erotic fiction. She currently lives in the Midwest.

Book preview

DARK TALES:

eVOLUME TWO

ELLE CHAMBERS

Copyright © 2013 Elle Chambers

Smashwords Edition

Indie Spirit Press

Cover Design by Jes Richardson

All Rights Reserved

Discover other titles by Elle Chambers at Smashwords.com:

Dark Tales: eVolume One - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/360254

Smashwords Edition, License Notice

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To fans of and other writers of dark fiction—you guys inspire me every day.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to Jes Richardson for giving me a delightfully creepy cover. I look forward to working with you again in the future. Thank you to everyone who read the first volume of stories in the Dark Tales series. The support is greatly appreciated. And finally, thanks to my friends and family for keeping me sane these past couple of months. I’d hate to wind up like one of the characters in this issue.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OBITUARY

RECALLING PAST LIVES

OLD FLAME

LOST AND FOUND

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Obituary

When I was a freshman in college, one of my journalism professors told the class I was in that most of us would begin our careers in print writing obituaries for small newspapers as opposed to being beat reporters for major publications—the competition for those jobs were (and still are) just too steep.

Of course, I went on to do something totally different altogether. But this story is inspired by that encouraging conversation. It was also inspired by my love of the Tales from the Crypt TV series.

Lewis J. Adams, a decorated war veteran, died late last Sunday at Mercy hospital of throat cancer at the age of 81.

Cynthia M. Douglas, owner of the women’s boutique Mademoiselle Paris, was shot and killed in an attempted robbery of her store Friday night. She was 43.

William St. John, a 56-year-old college professor and clinical psychologist, died early Tuesday morning from a prescription pill overdose. He is survived by his wife and two children.

She was known by her colleagues as Lady Death. Of all the monikers Gretchen Huggins had acquired over the years—Weirdo, Mouth-breather, Lesbian Succubitch from Hell—that one was the most accurate description. For five years, Gretchen had been chief writer of the obits section of The Enquirer. For five years, she’d watched as fresh faced journalism grads came into the department with little practical experience, but bucket loads of attitude and entitlement, did the least amount of work possible while bitching and moaning about the shit pay, and then were promptly promoted out to news positions as if they earned it.

Gretchen watched—and quietly seethed. She’d sat across the desk from hiring managers herself on several occasions, clips in hand, bright-eyed and charming (well, as bright-eyed and charming as a dark-eyed girl with a long, sullen face and