Free Spirits

By Andi Winter

These aren't your typical celestial beings

In these five fantasy stories, angels, ghosts, and demons take a variety of forms in a variety of settings, from modern day bakeries and hospitals, to tropical beaches and a Wild West under threat of magic and zombies.

In "An Angel of Her Own," an injured skier learns more about her physical therapist, and herself, with the aid of a peculiar nurse.

In "Daggers and Demons," a resistance fighter searches for an ancient weapon that could save humanity, but with consequences to himself he cannot possibly imagine.

In "Time and Time Again," a southern woman reflects on the mysterious man who appears in moments of crisis.

In "A Demon in the Hand," a desperate baker tracks down an angel to steal its soul for a baking competition, and discovers someone else is on the trail.

In "Footprints in the Sky," a grieving traveler looks for closure after the death of her fiance, and finds his ghost, and he's not happy.

A collection of fantasy short stories about angels, ghosts, and demons, ranging from inspirational and heartfelt to adventurous and darkly comic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andi Winter
• Release date: Feb 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215487051

Book preview

Free Spirits

Free Spirits

Five Fantasy Short Stories

Andi Winter

Rainy Mountain Publishing

For Gary

Those trips to Colorado, Louisiana, and Hawaii

leave an impression

Contents

Introduction

An Angel of Her Own

Daggers and Demons

Time and Time Again

A Demon in the Hand

Footprints in the Sky

Read on for an excerpt

SPRING COMES TWICE

Other Titles by Andi Winter

About the Author

Contents

Introduction

An Angel of Her Own

Daggers and Demons

Time and Time Again

A Demon in the Hand

Footprints in the Sky

Read on for an excerpt

SPRING COMES TWICE

Other Titles by Andi Winter

About the Author

Introduction

Even before I saw Ghostbusters or discovered Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I’ve had a fascination with angels, demons, and ghosts and imagining them here in this very world. I love the idea of benevolent celestial beings looking out for us poor, wayward humans. And the classic description of demons as evolving from ‘fallen’ angels appeals to my writer soul (ah, the internal conflict of those fallen angels!). As for ghosts, there is a romantic appeal to the idea of a person needing to get closure before moving on to another plane of existence, especially when having to leave loved ones behind.

In this collection of stories, angels, demons, and ghosts play critical roles in the lives of humans, from aiding them to leading them to their downfall.

I often write by starting with a character in a mood in a setting (and often a setting I have visited or very much want to). I love the Rocky Mountains and the idea of skiing on those glorious powdered slopes. But with my luck, I’d crash and hurt myself. Thankfully I can give that experience to the injured skier in Colorado in An Angel of Her Own, who has a transformative experience in physical therapy.

Also set in the Rocky Mountains, but in a completely different capacity, is Daggers and Demons. In an alternative Wild West set just after the War Between the States, the South allied with zombies from the Celestial Empire, and even though the South lost, the zombie Menace continues to be a threat. In the story, a Resistance fighter goes in search of a weapon that could turn the tide against the Menace, never imagining the potential consequences, particularly to himself.

Sometimes when I’m writing, a story will just come out complete in one session. With Time and Time Again that was exactly what happened. Set in the South, but in the modern non-zombie world, a young woman reflects on the mysterious man who appears in her moments of crisis. It’s a very short story, but doesn’t hold back on the emotional punch.

As a baker, I’m always looking for those tweaks that will make the process easier and the end product even tastier. In A Demon in the Hand, the desperate baker is a woman after my own heart as she strives to improve her baking for a world competition. Well, until she crosses a demonic line…

One of the detriments of getting to know and love a place is when favorite businesses close for good. One such place is (was) the Wailana Coffee House in Honolulu (RIP 2018). As a writer, it brings me joy to have the Wailana live on in Footprints in the Sky, with the fabulous salad bar with the li hing pineapple and the $5 mai tais. As for ghosts, who could blame them for visiting the tropical paradise of Hawaii? It is indeed, in the words of a certain Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, a magical place.

I hope you enjoy these stories of spirits—whether angels, demons, or ghosts—and that they will inspire you to look at the world around you with a little bit of What if~? wonder.

-Andi Winter

Free Spirits

Copyright © 2023 by Andi Winter

First published in 2023 by Rainy Mountain Publishing

Cover art copyright © Sam Barber / Unsplash

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An Angel of Her Own by Andi Winter was first published by Rainy Mountain Publishing, 2018

Daggers and Demons by Andi Winter was first published by Rainy Mountain Publishing, 2020

Time and Time Again by Andi Winter was first published by Rainy Mountain Publishing, 2018

A Demon in the Hand by Andi Winter was first published by Rainy Mountain Publishing, 2018

Footprints in the Sky by Andi Winter was first published by Rainy Mountain Publishing, 2018

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All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 9798377095903 (print edition)

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and incidents are either products of the imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real people or incidents is coincidental. This book, or parts, thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

An Angel of Her Own

Who knew skiing was hell?

All Lindsay Coyle wanted was an angel of a physical therapist.

What she got was the devil in the shape of a former Marine drill instructor.

But when a mysterious nurse gives her advice, Lindsay discovers there may be more to the Marine, and to herself, than she realized.

Can a ghost from the past change the present?

An Angel of Her Own

LINDSAY COYLE LISTENED to the steady ticking of the military-grade clock hanging on the waiting room’s wall. It was an old clock and looked like it had survived a few wars, although in a physical therapy ward, she wasn’t entirely sure what exactly would constitute a war here. Maybe patients grew restless with the so-pale-it-almost-wasn’t-there mint green wall paint, or maybe it was the seven-year-old trashy entertainment magazines. Or it just might have had something to do with the physical therapist in residence.

Sergeant John Lambert, LPT, USMC. Aka Mr. Lambert if things went well, and You bastard if they didn’t.

She didn’t want to be here, to the point of waiting to the last minute to arrive. Of course she knew physical therapy was good for her, that if she wanted her knee to heal and actually be useful, and not continue to be the source of never-ending discomfort, not to mention a limp, that the therapy was necessary. It was something she should do.

Lindsay hated shoulds. She hated them even more when they involved pain, embarrassment, and a former drill instructor. Why couldn’t she get a PT like her friend Charla did—one who was kind, supportive, and cute? One that she could appreciate and think of as her angel, just as Charla did with Darren?

Nope. Just like a lot of other things in her life, Lindsay got the opposite of what she wanted.

She got the devil.

Lindsay Coyle?

Lindsay looked up. A tall, thin man in pink teddy bear scrubs held a battered clipboard and scanned the waiting room. The waiting room that only had her in it.

"Sergeant Lambert will see