TALES from the AETHER The Best Short Stories of 2020

By Matthew C. Woodruff

Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards!

In these 14 stunningly original, provocative and entertaining stories, the reader confronts questions and situations never before considered by mere mortals. A compilation of what seems like ordinary events quickly unfold to reveal possibilities humanity has only ever dared to consider.

Imagine you've woken up in a strange place, completely in the dark... or perhaps...Your loved one has a mystical connection with an event 2000 years in the past... or...Only you can release a trapped race of beings from our world... or...Destiny opens up before you one fateful box at a time... or...Your afterlife is not at all what you thought it might be... or...You finally have a chance to return to the past and correct a fateful mistake, but at what cost... or...Only you can see into another person's soul...

These are just some of the poignant, thrilling, funny and unusual things happening to the absolutely realistic characters in TALES from the AETHER that could be any one of us.

All from the mind of the incomparable Matthew C. Woodruff, Including stories being published for the first time as well as some of his rare and classic uncollected work, this is Woodruff at his best: profound, humorous, sympathetic—revelatory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matthew C. Woodruff
• Release date: Jul 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005818265

Matthew C. Woodruff

With sardonic wit and complete irreverence, Matthew Woodruff is one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Woodruff is a master of dark humor and satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.It is said that Matthew was born with a book in one hand and a pen in the other (his poor mother has never forgiven him but hey, at least it wasn't a typewriter...) Shortly after the release of his first book, Matthew was named 'Author of the Month' by Self Publishers Showcase for September, 2018.A native New Yorker, Matthew is now on staff at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. Matthew is an award winning magazine features writer, editor and publisher. Matthew's vision of the world around us - seen in his dark humor and dark fiction works - is unique and not to be missed.

Book preview

TALES

from the

ÆTHER

2nd Edition

Matthew C. Woodruff

Copyright © 2020 Matt Woodruff

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced without the explicit written permission of the author.

Printed in the USA

From the Author

Hello, is this thing on? Does anyone read these? If you are familiar with my work, then you know I have a strange sense of humor. My first book, 26 Absurdities of Tragic Proportions was a dark humor masterpiece, if I don’t say so myself.

Though this collection tends more toward dark fiction and the dramatic, I have endeavored to instill in my characters and their stories some sense of humor as well. Plus, there are illustrations in this book, which I’ve never done before.

I hope you find these enjoyable. Oh, and P.S. – all authors need reviews. If you liked this book, please consider leaving a review from wherever you bought it.

CONTENTS

The Dark New Year

Amy’s Valentine

The Alban Eiler

The Shadow People

Lenny the Djinn

Boxed in by Fate

Destiny’s End

Just Dessert

My After Life

The Color of the Soul

Saving Sally

A Christmas Tale

BONUS STORIES:

The Out of Work (Gender Non-Specific) Fairy God Person

Olive

TALES from the AETHER – the Best Short Stories of 2020 is a completely original work by Matthew C. Woodruff originally published in 2019. The paperback version is fully illustrated.

The Dark New Year

As soon Jay woke up, he felt as if something was wrong. Even though he hadn’t opened his eyes, every other sense was telling him things were somehow… different. The air felt oppressive, strange smells assaulted his nostrils and even the feel of the bed was wrong. Momentarily Jay felt befuddled, then all at once he realized he wasn’t in the same place where he had gone to sleep the previous night.

Today is Monday, New Year’s Day, and even though he had partied with his friends and imbibed liberally the night before, Jay distinctly remembered going to sleep in his own bed. As he lay there with his eyes still closed, he thought about the events of the previous night and remembered clearly the Uber’s headlights startling a small raccoon as it pulled into a parking space in front of Jay’s building. He should be in his own bed he knew.

Just as he was going to give in to the desire to open his eyes, he heard a faint breathing sound from across the room. The unexpected noise caused him to stiffen and with some effort he managed to quiet his own breathing, straining to listen closer in the hopes of hearing more.

There is someone or something in the room with me, Jay realized with a small jolt of fear.

He was loath to give away the fact that he was now awake because he did not know in what circumstances he found himself, or in fact how he had gotten wherever he seemed to be. Suddenly Jay realized there could even be someone watching him. His fear spiked but also his curiosity increased.

Has he been drugged and snatched from his own bed? Did he suffer a medical emergency, an aneurysm maybe, and he is now in a hospital where he may have lain in a coma for who knows how long? Has there been a natural disaster or even a nuclear attack and he was brought to a survivors’ center? His mind whirled through all these questions, seeking an explanation that made sense. Without more input he just didn’t have enough data to form a justifiable conclusion.

Without moving his head, he slowly opened one eye just a crack.

From the vantage point of lying flat on his back, he would have only a limited range of view, and he expected to see a ceiling and maybe part of an upper wall, but he saw nothing, only blackness. He opened his other eye and slightly turned his head toward the earlier sound. Still only pervasive blackness surrounded him. He couldn’t even see his hand held directly in front of his face. Earlier he had felt both curiosity and fear to the strange circumstance he had found himself in, now the total darkness was leaching the curiosity and courage from him completely. He had no idea where he was.

Jay was hearing heavy breathing now and soon realized it was coming once again from himself. He knew had to calm down and attempted to control his breathing and slow his pounding heart. He automatically closed his eyes in preparation for a calming technique he sometimes used but soon realized it didn’t matter. Wherever he was there was absolutely no light. His attempt at the calming technique was soon abandoned. Right now, he needed more information.

A new sensation started pulsing through him, one that caused him to flush with the heat of worry. He had to take a piss, badly. He also realized he was terribly thirsty. No doubt both extremes resulting from the partying the night before.

If it had been the night before, he thought.

Soon he wouldn’t have the luxury of laying in the bed thinking. He would have to get out and find out where he was. He again heard a noise from across the room, if it even were a room but Jay knew he could not let his imagination run astray. That type of worry would not be helpful and as the increasing pressure of his bladder was insistently alerting him, he had enough worries for the moment.

Feeling the desperation of his situation he decided to sit up and swing his feet onto the floor.

There must be a bathroom, every place had a bathroom, Jay thought trying to marshal his resolve.

He pushed off the thin covering and sat up swinging his legs off the side of the bed. The platform of the bed must be unusually high though because Jay’s feet did not touch the floor. As he performed this small movement, he again heard a noise from nearby.

Is there someone else in here with me? He wondered with a jolt of fear.

He was in complete and utter blackness, and so was whomever or whatever else was in there with him. The insistent pressure on his bladder increased with the movement.

Jay stretched out one foot as far downward as possible, still meeting no resistance.

How high off the floor am I, should I just jump down?

The obvious thing to do he knew, would be to toss something over the side and wait for the noise of it striking the floor. But what could he use? He had no jewelry, no watch, and no wallet. In fact, he was completely nude, not even in the boxers he normally slept in.

He got fully back on the bed and slowly stood up, balancing precariously on the thin, spongy surface. He reached out fully with both arms but encountered nothing within his reach. No matter how far he stretched there were no nearby walls, nor could he reach the ceiling or underneath the bed. By finding the edges of the bed he was on, he could tell it was possibly just a bit wider than twice his width and about a foot longer than his prone length. It seemed as if he was floating on a small island in dark space. Jay could feel nothing above it, below it or around it. He sat back down with his legs over one side.

There was nothing more for it now.

He had to piss and he sure as hell wasn’t going to piss on himself. He maneuvered himself to what he considered the foot of the bed, got up on his knees and eagerly and desperately pissed over the side. He was intently listening for the final splash as his urine hit the floor underneath him, yet no sound ever returned to him.

Once finished, Jay lay back down on the bed with his hands behind his head trying to think. He soon felt an inexplicable need to masturbate but squashed down the desire. Fear does strange things.

Eventually it occurred to Jay that he must be being watched or otherwise monitored. What else would be the point to imprison someone in the dark with nowhere to go if not to gauge reactions?

After thinking about it for some time and considering the overwhelming darkness, Jay concluded that the monitoring must be physical. Running his hands up