Edition 2: The Stygian Lepus Magazine, #2

By Stygian Lepus

The Stygian Lepus Magazine is a thrilling foray into dark speculative fiction. In each new edition, readers explore the depths of imagination, where fear and fascination intertwine.

Offering diverse genres from horror to science fiction, each story pushes the boundaries of reality.

Talented authors craft tales that transport readers to new dimensions, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. The magazine is a vessel for exploring the human psyche, embracing darkness as a means to understand ourselves.

Join this journey into the unknown, where the bizarre and unsettling captivate, all within the pages of The Stygian Lepus Magazine.

 

Always, In All Ways by Avery Hunter

Dinner is Served by Jodi Jensen

Every Rose Has it's Roots by Rotten Akers

Family Time by Andreas Flögel

For the Record (An' Them) by Steven Holding

Handcuff by J.B. Corso

Heroes Are Hard to Find - Part Two by Zack Zagranis

Human Touch by Rick Ansell Pearson

In Amelia's Wake - Part One by James Agombar

Logan's Pool by Karen Bayly

Man's Best Friend by Dawn DeBraal

Matches by Warren Benedetto

Running for My Life by Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar

Scaring Eli by Josh Clark

Sea Wasp by Corinne Pollard

Skins by Marvin Lee

Sweet Treat by Andrew Anderson

The Coat by Alessia Lehua

The Hadal Zone by Kyle Vincent Lemmon

The Kiss by Tim Law

The Spring Hare -Part One by M. Leigh

Victims by Bill Bibo Jr

Worm by Rick Ansell Pearson

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stygian Lepus
• Release date: Jan 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224833177

Book preview

The Stygian Lepus

Digital Edition 2

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The Stygian Lepus Magazine

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Jodi Christensen – Fiction Editor

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Kara Hawkers – Poetry Editor

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Dean Shawker – Fiction Editor

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The Hawkmoth – Cover Designer

Copyright © 2023 by The Stygian Lepus Magazine

First published in Australia in December 2023 by The Stygian Lepus Magazine

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this production may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, including in any AI activity such as training, etc, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner.

Contents

Victims

Bill Bibo Jr.

Handcuff

J.B. Corso

Sweet Treat

Andrew Anderson

For the Record (An' Them)

Steven Holding

Heroes Are Hard to Find - Part Two

Zack Zagranis

Running for My Life

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

Dinner is Served

Jodi Jensen

Skins

Marvin Lee

The Spring Hare - Part One

M. Leigh

Logan's Pool

Karen Bayly

In Amelia's Wake - Part One

J. Agombar

The Hadal Zone

Kyle Vincent Lemmon

Matches

Warren Benedetto

Always, In All Ways

Avery Hunter

Scaring Eli

Josh Clark

Sea Wasp

Corinne Pollard

The Kiss

Tim Law

The Coat

Alessia Lehua

Man's Best Friend

Dawn DeBraal

Every Rose Has it's Roots

Rotten Akers

Family Time

Andreas Flögel

Worm

Rick A. Pearson

Human Touch

Rick A. Pearson

Fiction Editor

Jodi Christensen

Fiction Editor

Dean Shawker

Poetry Editor

Kara Hawkers

With a glint in my eye and a dash of whimsy in my step, I, the Stygian Lepus, am delighted to welcome you to the second edition of our enigmatic haven, The Stygian Lepus: A Dark Speculative Fiction Magazine. As we gather once more in the realm of shadows and secrets, I am eager to guide you through another collection of tales that traverse the chasm between the known and the uncharted.

Within the pages of this hallowed tome, we continue to embark on an odyssey into the labyrinthine corridors of human imagination, where reality dances with the surreal, and the abyss beckons with a beguiling allure. Dark speculative fiction is the realm of the intrepid, where we celebrate the odd and explore the unfathomable facets of our existence.

Our second edition unveils a tantalizing array of stories, carefully curated to challenge your perceptions and lead you into the heart of the unknown. From the eerie landscapes of horror to the boundless cosmos of science fiction, our esteemed authors have once again risen to the occasion, weaving narratives that will haunt your dreams and test the very fabric of reality.

Diversity remains our compass. We have summoned a diverse ensemble of voices, each as unique as the night itself, ensuring that every reader finds their own muse within these pages. Our authors have ventured into the abyss and returned with stories that defy easy classification, transcending genres to create experiences that will both astonish and captivate.

As you immerse yourself in the tales that await, remember that darkness is not to be feared but embraced. It is through these stories that we confront the enigma of our own fears, desires, and the unknowable. Here, within the Stygian Lepus, we unlock the secrets of existence that lurk just beyond the threshold of the ordinary.

This magazine is more than a collection of stories; it is a conduit to the very essence of our shared humanity—a vessel that carries us through the labyrinth of our deepest desires and anxieties, a tapestry woven with the threads of our most profound nightmares and dreams.

To all our dedicated readers, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. It is your insatiable curiosity, your appetite for the enigmatic, and your unwavering support that propel us forward. Your thoughts, feedback, and reflections are the lifeblood of our journey, and we eagerly await your insights as we strive to deliver the finest dark speculative fiction.

As we venture onward into the abyss, prepare to confront the shadows that both dwell within and beckon from the periphery. Together, we shall unravel the mysteries hidden beneath the surface, for the Stygian Lepus remains your guide through the realms of the bizarre, the unsettling, and the utterly enthralling.

Yours in the shadows,

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The Styg

Editor-in-Chief

The Stygian Lepus Magazine

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Victims

Bill Bibo Jr.

The Husband:

The only sound is the waves. Their white foam covers the beach like a shroud. The damp moonlight reflects my anguish on the water. This vacation was supposed to be paradise.

A brightly colored bag, quickly purchased from a souvenir shop, now filled with their illegal payment, sits at my feet. Waiting, pacing, I kick wet sand over it. Dirty money for a dirty deed.

Headlights in the distance turning this way. At this time of night, it could only be them.

If they have harmed her in any way…

I check the gun concealed in my belt behind me.

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The Criminal:

I open the car door and pull her from the car.

Cute thing. It’s been too long since I’d see a pair of legs like that. I considered keeping her with me a bit longer, but when the call came back saying the money was ready, the money won. Still, there had been time for a little fun. I sent the kid out for cigarettes. What he don’t know won’t hurt him.

I cut the rope on her wrists and laugh when she nearly falls in the sand.

I turn to the kid and say, Open the trunk. We’ll put the money there. This won’t take long.

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The Wife:

I stumble in the sand, but I am caught by arms I thought I might never see again.

Are you okay? he asks and pulls me close.

I wince at the pain from his embrace, the bruises still gathering in my shoulders, but don’t let go.

I don’t know, am I?

He rubs my back but stops abruptly when he feels the cuts and the dried blood. His tears fall on my neck as I discover the gun at his back.

My hands tremble, so I grip it tightly and turn to face my captors.

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The Kid: 

It wasn’t supposed to go down this way.

Rich tourists are easy money, he said. We grab her; we do the exchange; we leave the island wealthy men, all our dreams fulfilled, all our problems behind us. Easy, he said. How could I say no?

She never suspected when we stopped to help that I was the one who’d punctured her tire in the first place.

Now he’s lying dead or bleeding out in the sand. And I’m trapped behind this rock between a gun and a vengeful sea, wishing I’d never met him, wishing I’d learned to swim.

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The Husband:

It’s been a year.

She won’t leave the house. I added cameras, alarms to every window and door. Her sister stays with her while I’m at work. Still, she doesn’t feel safe. She sits watching the door, expecting something dreadful to happen.

No charges were filed for the deaths of those men. The police said they had it coming. It was only a matter of time. You should be proud of your wife. She is a strong woman.

Why did I bring that gun? Would things have been different? Even now she sees their blood, feels their hands upon her.

Those men took my wife. They have her still.

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Bill has written across many genres for Black Hare Press, Mash Stories, Havok, Stupefying Stories, Black Ink Fiction, B-Cubed Press, and more. Even paranormal romances for Paramour Ink and Dark Rose Press as Bill Anthony. What’s next? An urban fantasy detective novel.

Website: www.billbibojr.com

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Handcuff

J.B. Corso

Linda’s putrid forearm bounces against my naked left hip as the handcuff keeps us united. The sharp cornstalk rows continue to lacerate me as I run. Her pained screams follow my conscience under the stars.  Linda, you know I only had one option down there.  I wish she’d already died before I took the saw to her arm. Childhood wishes and paper loyalty stopped mattering when the rusty, metal teeth bore through her muscle.  Why did you insist we ride with those guys?  My thighs ache so much right now. A drone is hovering above. They know where I am. 

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J.B. Corso is a mental health clinician who has worked with vulnerable populations for nearly 20 years. They enjoy spending time with their children, writing, and pondering existential questions. They live with a supportive partner in the Midwest and enjoy car rides relaxing to the Grateful Dead. Their writing motto is Developing stories into masterpieces. They are a Horror Writer’s Association member and a NaNoWriMo winner (2021, 2022). They’re an international author with works published with Sirens Call Publications