An Unkindness of Ravens

By Thompson Writers' Guild

What happens when you ask a group of writers in Northern Manitoba to delve into the deepest, darkest recesses of their minds to produce works of weird fiction for your Winter reading entertainment?

They write stories: spooky stories. And poems: pulse-pounding poems.

They write them very, very well.

One writer even inked a graphic novel for you to feast your eyes on.

What will you find between these foreboding covers?

There’s only one way to find out.

Read this book... if you dare.

Warning: May contain zombies, corpses, ringette teams, shapeshifters, snowmobiles, twisted versions of popular folk characters, complete darkness, the recently departed, teenagers, canoes, dismembered torsos, bear stands, vampires, happy campers, weirdos, circles of evil, ravens, tea, peanuts and unpasteurized honey. No animals were harmed in the making of this book except for the editors, but trust me, they had it coming...

Spooky (horror) anthology with 14 contributors from the Thompson Writers' Guild located in Northern Manitoba, multiple entries from authors aged 10 thru 18+, more mature material toward back of book.

eBook design by Yawhann Chong.

Cover Art by Jasmine Blair.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thompson Writers' Guild
• Release date: Oct 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310376849

Thompson Writers' Guild

Established in 2012 by Amanda M. Holt (and an assortment of enthusiastic fellow writers who dropped by her & Tina's table at a certain Health & Leisure Mart), the Thompson Writers' Guild is a community of 73+ writers who live in Northern Manitoba, Canada. We have members from every walk of life, whose ages range from 8 to 65+ years. The principle on which the Thompson Writers' Guild was founded was this: "writers helping writers achieve their (writing) goals". Their first anthology, "An Unkindness of Ravens", published October 5, 2014, is an excellent example of what the Guild can do as a collective, to help each other achieve these and other goals. The challenge put to the group was to contribute a piece to the anthology: their response? 14 members contributed works, and a member from the art community contributed our cover art (Jasmine Blair). The layout & prepress of the Print version of the book was done by Yawhann Chong and Amanda M. Holt; Yawhann Chong is primarily responsible for polished appearance of the the eBook version. Operating primarily from September thru June on an annual basis, we meet bi-weekly to enjoy fellowship among kindred spirits, offer supports and resources to our fellow writers, critique each other's work, give motivation and inspiration, and of course, share cookies. An executive was formed in 2013 to help guide the Guild, who are a not-for-profit organization. Proceeds from the sale of this book will go towards achieving TWG goals as set out by the members. Anyone wishing to contact the TWG (about i.e. joining the Guild or publication permissions) may do so at [e-mail]

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Acknowledgements

The Thompson Writers’ Guild would like to thank the Thompson Public Library for providing us with a meeting space, writing and promotional opportunities, reference materials, resources and assorted other supports that have aided us in creating and maintaining our Guild.

A very special and heartfelt thanks goes out to Angela Wolfe, contributor, Co-Editor, Grammar Ninja and interim secretary: in this case, words alone cannot convey our gratitude for all that you have done to inspire us and keep this group together.

An eternally grateful thanks goes to Yawhann Chong for his assistance with the final layout, prepress, editing and graphic design touch-ups for this anthology. Without him, An Unkindness of Ravens, as you now know it, just simply would not be. He is a most patient, wise, and benevolent co-conspirator who knows the Oxford comma and is not afraid to use it.

Also, thank you to David Williamson, who was originally going to be the editor for this project but had to divert his energies elsewhere – your enthusiasm was appreciated and we have taken your suggestions to heart!

Foreword… and Forewarning

Welcome to An Unkindness of Ravens, the first-ever anthology written, edited and published by fourteen of the many authors that make up the membership of the Thompson Writers’ Guild. Our cover art is by the talented hands of Jasmine Blair.

Founded in 2012, the motto of the Thompson Writers’ Guild is writers helping writers achieve their writing goals. This anthology is tangible proof of what a non-profit community group like ours can achieve when we collaborate to put our ideas into words, words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into stories and stories into the hands of readers like you.

If not for the supports that these authors found in their kindred spirits of the Thompson Writers’ Guild, their stories might never have been written, or if written, might never have seen the light of day, remaining forever entombed in a dusty old drawer or buried somewhere in the filing system of their laptop.

If not for the Thompson Writers’ Guild challenging their membership to publish an anthology, you might never have had the opportunity to be entertained in the way that we local artisans are about to entertain you.

Within these pages, we aspire not only to carry you away for a few hours to a land of suspense and the supernatural and give you escape from the rituals of your everyday life, we are also hoping to spook you a little.

Not a lot, mind you – just enough to make you wonder about the things that go bump in the night… Wonder if they are friend or foe, benign or fanged, just the north wind raking a tree branch across your ceiling or in fact the talons of something more sinister and very hungry.

I believe that stories (and poems, being a different style of storytelling) are almost like living things that, in the nurturing hands of the artist, become an entity with a voice, a spirit and message.

Yet a story doesn’t quite come to life until a reader’s own mind acts as the observer of the unravelling tale, coloring the scenery with the reader’s own interpretation of how deep a green the verdant forest is, or how scarlet the scrape on a skinned knee has become as the first signs of infection set in.

Drawing from their own experience, the reader can empathize with the burning pangs of hunger in a street urchin’s stomach, can identify with the weariness of a driver on the seemingly endless Highway 6. It seems to me that it is in this marriage between the reader’s own range and recall of senses and the writer’s guideline of things to be sensed that story is truly experienced.

As our reader, we hope that you will enjoy the experience of story in the cornucopia of spooky, creepy, disturbing and downright gruesome selections that we have prepared for you in An Unkindness of Ravens.

Kindly note that the more mature content is featured toward the back of the book, following the poetry. Youth submissions appear first.

In The Ringette Tournament by Megan Duff, a group of young female athletes are victims of an event that leaves their spot in the tournament hanging in the balance…

A ribbon is just a feminine decoration and a tattoo is nothing more than a bit of ink – or are they? Watch the horrors unfold for a newlywed couple in The Black Ribbon by Faelen Wolfe, a gruesome new twist on a fairy tale element.

Our lone graphic novel in the anthology, Killer Frost reveals how poor decisions made by teenagers can have deadly supernatural consequences, as written and inked by the visionary Valkyrie Wolfe.

Ravens, a disturbing poem by Faelen Wolfe, will ruffle your feathers…

In the poem, Camping, by Rane Folster, an idyllic outdoor adventure turns nightmarish and your pulse will quicken until—

Rane Folster’s about the missing Aboriginal women doesn’t tiptoe around the issue. Be forewarned, it’s a visceral read with all the subtlety of a dropkick to the throat.

Using graphic poetry to engage multiple senses, Angela Wolfe examines why You Can’t Trust Spring.

A deceitful man spinning a web of lies gets more than he bargains for in Afternoon Tea, short story by the talented Rane Folster.

A self-explanatory title, Three eerie equine events of the early eighties by long-time Thompson resident, Penny Byer, will have horse lovers looking over their shoulder the next time they’re pitching hay at the stables in the near dark.

Speaking of near dark, what would you do if you were sitting in a hot tub when the power goes out, and you’re thrown headfirst into full-on, pitch black darkness? Experience one newly-blinded young woman’s escalating psychological terror in Lights Out by Chesa Hickey.

In The Island by R.I. Ross, a simple shore lunch on a lazy summer afternoon turns into a family man’s worst nightmare…

Olivia Stone’s Getting to know Dad explores how relationships can be hard to let go of once you are dead. Whether the living like it or not…

The future is going to be very very cold and very very weird according to the quirky and delightful Sled or Alive (Part 1 and 2) by our remarkable Han Sulu.

In Beware the Silence, I lecture you on why no news is not necessarily good news for watchmen awaiting resolution of a very hairy situation in the Complex beneath Grey Wolf Bay.

Angela Wolfe gives ample reason for you to keep a full jerry can in your vehicle with Winter Survival Gear is Strongly Recommended.

A family man with a dark sense of humor prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice in Infected, a zombie-filled post-apocalyptic masterpiece by the incomparable Ian Graham.

If your tree-stand shakes in the woods – again – and nobody’s there to shake it, would you stay in the damn thing? Find out if you’d even make it out of there alive in the well-crafted, albeit gruesome tale The Bear Stand by FJ Bell.

A paranoid momma’s boy makes some impulsive and gory life choices in William Anderson’s brief but unforgettable Memories.

We hope to exceed your expectations with every word our Guild puts into print. Another anthology is planned for Spring/Summer of 2015.

But for now, enjoy your copy of An Unkindness of Ravens!

Amanda M. Holt

Founder, Contributor, Co-Editor

October 6, 2014

The Ringette Tournament

Megan Duff

It was seven in the morning. Alaura and her ringette team, the Thompson Ring Ravens, were preparing for their 8 hour long drive, not including the stops they make. Two girls were talking while they were packing up the bus. What if something goes wrong, like we get stuck or something? Amanda asked.

You worry too much. Nothing is going to go wrong, said Dove. The Thompson Ring Ravens ringette team planned to leave at 8 to arrive in Winnipeg at about 4:00 or 5:00 o‘clock. By 7:55 the team was ready.

The bus was leaving city limits by eight. Right on time! They stopped in The Pas at noon to go to the washroom and get a snack. Some girls were really slow, so it took the team an hour!

The team was one hour out of The Pas when all of a sudden the bus stopped! The driver took the key out and put it back in.

The bus didn’t start!

Then 3 girls saw smoke coming from the engine. The driver immediately took out the key and went to the engine. He looked at it for 15 minutes then came in and announced that the bus broke down! It smelt weird and smoky. All the girls shouted, WHAT!

The team was scared that they wouldn’t make it to their tournament. Scared because they were now stranded on an isolated northern highway where wolverines, lynx, wolves and bears live.

The girls called their parents and told them what happened. There was a lot of chatter.

Meanwhile, the driver called roadside assistance and his friend who drives a bus. Roadside assistance and the driver’s friend showed up 1 hour later. The team unpacked the broken bus and packed up the other bus while roadside assistance fixed the broken bus. The team left on the new bus at 3:00.

Finally! said a girl on the team. We are here!

It was 7:00 pm. After the team’s crazy day, all the girls just wanted to go to bed because they had a 7:00 am game tomorrow morning so they had to be at the rink at 6:00 am.

It was Saturday morning. The Ring Ravens won their first game 9-4. They were playing Brandon.

One Brandon team player squashed a Thompson player against the boards during the free pass.

Later that day, they won their game 8-1. The Ring Ravens played Dakota. The Dakota players were all very small. After the games the girls had a pizza party and went swimming.

The next morning, they won their third game 10-3. That game the Ravens were very rough and got a lot of penalties. The other team’s coach got very angry and started yelling at the Ring Ravens and their coaches. He was yelling, This is ringette not hockey. He was also yelling at the referees.

The Ring Ravens were the only unbeaten team in the pool. For the finals the Ring Ravens played Brandon again. They won the game 8-3. The Ring Ravens won gold!!

When the team went back to Thompson, there were no problems with the bus. Two days later, the team’s head coach, Rosaline, wrote an article about their win for the newspaper.

The Black Ribbon

Faelen Wolfe

A young man had just gotten married to a beautiful woman. The husband had noticed that his new wife always wore a black lace ribbon around her neck. He would mention it on several occasions but she would change the subject every time he asked. One time, when he finally couldn't take it anymore, he decided that he had to find out what was under the ribbon. He hid a long pair of shears from the kitchen under his pillow, and that night, when her breathing was deep and regular, he slid the sharp edge of the shears carefully between her white throat and the black ribbon.

The lace fell onto her pillow as she slept. A confused look crossed the man's face, that carried with it a tone of horror. His eyes widened but his pupils became smaller. His face became so repulsed by what he saw that a blind boy could see his fright.

Upon his wife's creamy neck was but only a tattoo. The tattoo was of a young and beautiful witch riding a broomstick, holding in one hand an elegant silver mirror. While the husband, both entranced and yet revolted, looked at the mirror, a small unnoticeable flash sparkled from the blank glass of the art. His eyes continued down the tattoo, large enough that it reached down to her shoulder. Under a full moon on a cliff, lay a white were-wolf clutching at empty air. The details in the tattoo seemed to become more defined as he noticed that the were-wolf's fur was matted and in some spots where there was no fur, scratches ran down his flank, showing evidence of great battles. The husband caught his gaze wandering back up to his wife's face, as beautiful as the moon that lit up the sky and caught the warm white glow of her skin. He looked back down again at the disfiguring tattoo, transfixed by the witch's toothy grin.

Blinking in confusion, he realized that he must be imagining things and curled up beside his sleeping wife, dropping easily into a deep sleep. As he did so, his wife woke with a start. Turning to check the room for anything out of the ordinary, she gasped as she noticed her black lace ribbon on the pillow just below the impression of her head. Stumbling in shock to the washroom, she looked into the mirror, face pale with dread. The reflection showed a young witch leering from ear to ear, holding up proudly an elegantly wrought mirror, with a young man's face staring back at her. The wife whimpered softly as she could see quite clearly that the young man, covered in garish red blood, was her husband. The moon's face was also covered in the same over-bright red blood. The silver disk now seemed more like a bloody pool waiting to spill. No longer were the were-wolf's hands empty, now they clutched an anatomically correct heart, complete with crimson accents, silent and still in the monster's furry grasp.

The wife turned and ran from the washroom, a low moan escaped her lips as she heard a cackle flow through the house like a growing wave. She dove from the doorway of the bedroom to the bed, flung herself onto her husband and desperately felt for a pulse. She found none. There was no further time for her to react as an agonizing pain shot up from her neck, right where the shoulder joined. Blind with agony, she felt more than saw her path back to the washroom, where the only light except for the silver moon illuminated the way. Her vision cleared enough that she could reluctantly look back again into the mirror. The witch was no longer still. She was chanting in a language long forgotten and thankfully unheard. She flew back and forth across the woman's neck, smashing at her skin with the ornate hand-mirror, a look of frozen terror on the young man's face. The mirror in the witch's hands glowed with an unearthly power, as the witch intended to use the power of the trapped soul within it to free the wolf and her from their long imprisonment. Frantic, the young woman raced back to the bedroom and grabbed the lace ribbon, wrapping it ineffectually around her throat, too late as these monsters were breaking free of their cell.

With a grim resolve, the woman's face grew cold as stone as she swiftly pulled