BOOM! (Vol. III)

By Roxie Prince

Still hungry? Don't be ashamed. Take another bite.

In this third volume of horror flash fiction from Roxie Prince, author of COMPENDIUM: A Horror Novelette, FLASH! (Vol. I), and BANG (Vol. II), you'll find 50 spooky tales to indulge your inner glutton.

A stay in the devil's hotel costs a terrible price, a night of gaming goes awfully wrong, and deals this Black Friday are far from good — these tales and more will leave a lingering aftertaste on your tastebuds.

Each story is 500 words or less making for an easy devour on your commute, lunch break, or as a mid-day pick-me-up. These stories are just long enough for the creeps to crawl and for things to go bump.

Dim the lights, snuggle up, and take a bite of BOOM!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roxie Prince
• Release date: Dec 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9798223775935

Roxie Prince

ABOUT ROXIE PRINCE Roxie is a creative soul who turns her life into stories, poetry, and art. She was born HIV+ and was orphaned by AIDS at the age of 10. She tells a story of survival through her works. Her first publication, COMPENDIUM: A Horror Novelette, is available as an e-book download now for all e-readers and as a paperback available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other major online retailers. Her first full-length, young adult novel, The Way We Go, a tale of growing up, friendship, hope, and young love is available NOW! Growth Spurt, the companion novel to The Way We Go, picks back up with Katie Sterling and her friends as they turn thirteen and enter the confusing era in which they are unsure whether to start growing up or to cling tightly to their childhoods. The girls have a lot of growing up to do; whether they do it together or not is what they'll have to decide. It releases January 1, 2016. Roxie is also working on compiling a collection of poetry about growing up and living with HIV to accompany her memoirs. She is a self-taught artist who currently works through the digital medium to create pieces that speak to her. Her style is ever-evolving. Her art prints are available through her Society6 page. Join her on her journey.

Book preview

Love Potion Number 666

Amanda knocked on the heavy wooden door. Her hand shook, but her knock rang boldly. She bounced from foot-to-foot. The answer took long enough her nerves to almost best her. Just as she was about to pivot and retreat, the door creaked open.

Hello, young lady. I have been expecting you, a hunched and wrinkled woman said. Her eyes sparkled with a knowing that gave Amanda goosebumps. She stepped aside to allow Amanda to pass by.

Did Callie tell you I was coming? A girlfriend referred Amanda to Madame Colleen, a woman who could, reportedly, give you whatever you wished for most. At a price, of course.

No, Madame Colleen answered, simply, while leading her down a sparsely lit hallway. Amanda followed, taking in the decor around her. It was what she expected from a witch-woman — a lot of candles, animal skulls, and crystals. But there was also a homey, comfortable, normal feeling to the place that put her at ease.

You wish for me to make you a love potion, yes? the old woman asked as she lowered herself into a plush armchair. Amanda sat across from her in a similar one, crossing her legs.

Yes, ma’am. I was told you could do that for me.

Hmm… Madame Colleen studied Amanda for a moment, seeming to see things in her Amanda was unaware of. She squirmed beneath her gaze. Yes, I can do this for you, but you must understand a few things.

Amanda nodded, expecting to be asked for payment.

This is a spell that takes away another’s free will. You must be okay with that in a moral sense, and you must be willing to pay the price for such a theft.

She had thought a lot about obtaining a potion to capture Emilio’s love. She knew he wouldn’t love her by choice, but she didn’t care. As long as she had him, she didn’t care how it happened. She was willing to pay any price.

She nodded at the woman. I understand. I’m ready. For anything.

Alright, then. Let’s get started. I have other appointments today. Did you bring his token?

Amanda retrieved a used cigarette butt from her purse and handed it over.

Madame Colleen dropped the butt into a glass bowl and added several other ingredients, none of which she revealed to Amanda, to the concoction. Beneath her breath, she chanted.

It only took a few minutes before she handed Amanda a vial.

What payment do I owe?

It’s already been paid, child.

Amanda departed, happy and excited. She had a friend-date with Emilio to get to that would, hopefully, be more now.

Her heart raced as Emilio took his first sip of wine. Half a second after he swallowed, a look of infatuation came over him. The potion had worked, but something was wrong. Amanda still wanted Emilio to love her, out of principle, but her feelings for him had disappeared. She felt nothing for him. Nothing at all.

No One Ever Thinks About The Demons

Everyone always talks about how horrific it must be to be possessed, but no one ever talks about how bad it is to be the one doing the possessing.

I mean, I’ll give it to ya, it’s not great to have a demon take over your body. Demons as a whole are contrary by nature. I get it’s not fun having your body taken over for evil deeds, but trust me when I say, it’s much worse for us.

Humans are weak, simple creatures. Why do you think you’re so easily possessed? If you all had better control over your emotions, thoughts, and actions, we wouldn’t have a chance, but you don’t. You’re the most vulnerable creatures on this god-forsaken planet. And yet, somehow, you’re the most powerful. That’s one hell of a draw; how can you blame us?

You’re thinking, But you violate us! We don’t ask to be possessed! You’re right, but we don’t really want you either. We don’t have any other choice. Can you imagine if we could possess animals? A pack of demon-possessed dogs? C’mon, now, even you have to admit that would be pretty cool.

Anyway, enough fooling around, take a few moments to think about what it must be like for us.

We have to pack our expansive consciousnesses into your measly minds. It’s like cramming the cosmos into a cardboard box. Somehow, we manage, but it’s a tight fit. Then, we have to deal with your consciousness jabbering on day in and day out. It’s goddamned annoying. Imagine having a toddler pulling on your shirt and calling your name for an hour. Multiply that by infinity. A toddler has to rest eventually; your consciousness does not.

Ugh, don’t get me started on your bodies. Your minds are like soft cheese, but your bodies are even squishier. I don’t know; they’re like … Pudding? Gimme a break. I’m a demon, not a poet. My point is, while they’re fun for a while, they don’t hold up. Your pathetic flesh can only play host for a few months — a year if we’re lucky — before it starts to fall apart. It’s fun while it lasts, obviously, but it’s real damn tedious to have to find a new body so often. We gotta search for a suitable body and soul. Then, we gotta cram inside again.

Worst of all are the exorcisms. Those things hurt. They hurt you, too, but I guess you lot see it as a means to an end. I don’t know. If you ask me, it’s inhumane. I mean, we aren’t human, but you get it. We are just trying to live our lives; the only way we know how. Honestly, it’s a temporary solution to a permanent problem, but whatever. You’re gonna do what you’re gonna do, and so are we.

So, next time you watch a spooky movie about possession or read a salacious article, for once, think about what it’s like for us.

A Stumbled-Upon Magic Wand

Saul and Toby, next-door neighbors and best friends forever, marred the pristine coat of fresh snow with their footprints. It was the first snow day of the year, so spirits were high. Their laughter rang on the wind like chimes. Their cheeks flushed red like plums. They chased each other, careless of the burn in their lungs. It was the perfect day for two eight-year-old boys.

If you two get too cold, come inside, Toby’s mom yelled from an open doorway. She rubbed her upper arms against the wind. I’ll have hot cocoa ready for you in about ten minutes.

The boys shouted back at her without a sideways glance. She shook her head and shut the door, happy to be inside the warm house but envious of the boys’ carefree nature.

Duck, Saul shouted, but he purposefully didn’t give his friend enough time to heed his words. A snowball exploded against Toby’s neck, one of the only exposed areas of his body.

Aw, man! It went down my shirt! Not cool, he said, laughing, as he shook the snow down and out of his collar. Before it was all gone, he darted after his laughing friend, determined to slam him with an even bigger snowball. When he bent down to grab a handful, something else caught his attention: a gnarly stick perfectly-sized to fit in the palm of his hand. He quickly forgot the snowball as his imagination ran wild with the possibilities.

Look, Saul! I found a magic wand! He lifted the stick and brushed away the snow that clung to it. It was about