Rosa Sanguinem

By Nova Sgàil

Stories are their trials. Poetry is their woes.

They cry to our world, begging for their voices to be heard.

What can save them from their heinous fate?

These tales of harrowing sorrows are words of the tribulations thrusted upon them by cruel creatures of darkness. The wickedly fiendish entities haunting them, dragging them into an endless wretched despair. Monsters fester and boil as they find new ways to corrupt one’s spirits, filling doubts and anguish in their minds. As their existence is brutally twisted into foul ways, there is no benevolent mercy to be given. Multiple worlds, realms, dimensions, and realities collide together, under the gaze of an unknown arcane force. Nothing is ever what it appears to be. Seems like death is lurking behind every corner. Monsters cower behind tormented eyes, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake. Tearing them away from their sanity. Betrayals of the tormented mind are trapped in their hellish misery. Destruction of their desolate souls is nothing but a morbid game. Never knowing the truth, that evil hides in plain sight.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781398426146

Nova Sgàil

This author brings imagination flooded in real life emotion to every story and every verse. Is there a bigger picture? Through generations, imagination expands evermore. New worlds are created every day. But, what if one day, a new form of reality was created? The poignancy of these worlds, meshed with dark yet compelling tales, are uniquely composed to bring one to question. What if someone cried to our world begging for their voice to be heard? Would we listen?

Book preview

About the Author

This author brings imagination flooded in real life emotion to every story and every verse. Is there a bigger picture? Through generations, imagination expands evermore. New worlds are created every day. But, what if one day, a new form of reality was created? The poignancy of these worlds, meshed with dark yet compelling tales, are uniquely composed to bring one to question. What if someone cried to our world begging for their voice to be heard? Would we listen?

Dedication

To all in this life who need to stay strong through adversity. T.A.T.T.M.I.C.N.D.A.

Copyright Information ©

Nova Sgàil 2023

The right of Nova Sgàil to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398426139 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398426146 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

Thank you to Austin Macauley publishers for

making this possible.

Section One

Short Stories

Story One

The Hell Warrior

Deadly Beginning: Part One

The darkness of the night roamed the sky as the sombre moon shone a dull abiding glow in the night upon the ominous ground below. Surrounding the woods, in the distance, there was a rustling of bushes and snapping of twigs that strung for only a few seconds before moving swiftly. A shadow lingered for a split second, every so often, before bolting towards nowhere. Panting and huffing, an underweight girl ran through the woods looking back every so often in fear. She wore ragged, dirty, ripped clothes, her face covered with splatters of mud. What you could see of her face was faded and pale. Her black eyes scanning her route, trying to determine what was the most sensible and safest place to go. Everywhere she looked was the same, all the trees cascaded around the woods as the forgotten fallen twigs and branches lay scattered like dead weight. The skinny girl jumped and hurdled her way through the plumage, stumbling and almost falling but catching her footing. Growling was heard and the snarling of gnashing teeth followed. They ran imitating her every move. Giant creatures blacker than night, with two hellish blackened eyes that reaped a song of death, two holes above their knife filled mouths which drooled a black ooze. The creatures ran like they were obsessed with their weak prey, that it was all that was meant to them, what they lived for. As the girl ran and ran, further and further into the distance, she saw in the corner of her eye the horizon, an ocean glistening in the moonlight. She changed her direction and headed towards the scenic sea, dodging through a graveyard of trees, her long, curly, messy bushy hair flowing in the air. She felt as though her legs would give out, but she had to keep pushing, had to keep surviving no matter the cost. She swung her arms to give herself more velocity, her heartbeat was all that she heard, she felt as though it would beat out of her chest. It beat faster and faster rhythmically, her mind was racing, not stopping. She was out of the woods and near the edge of the cliff. She kept thinking, Is this the right choice? Do I have another option? She hesitated as she came to a halt before the cliff, she looked down at the water below. The drop was too far down she would be lucky to survive. As the ocean crashed, rocks appeared then disappeared. She stopped and turned, she saw the monstrous demon-like creatures catching up to her, growling a sneering jeer, they looked content. She had an urge to jump, the demons were giving her no choice, they seemed to encourage her. But she stepped away and as she did the demons came charging for her. She turned, looking in front of her, took a step to the edge, a single tear fell from her eyes, falling to the ocean below. She could taste the bittersweet escape. She closed her eyes, let her soul leave her body, then pushing her body forward, she fell. Her tired eyes stayed shut as the wind howled around her as she fell. Her body crashed into the villainous ocean below, her face expressionless and lifeless as she began to sink into the cold heartless bottomless ocean.

Half Alive: Part Two

There she lay, her body lifeless, cold, stiff. The day came, the sun hid as if it was ashamed to bring joy upon the earth. The sky was grey and morbid looking, dull beyond comprehension. The body of the lifeless girl began to jerk and water regurgitated from her mouth. Her black plain eyes opened wide as she gasped for air. Her body shivered as the coldness mercilessly cradled her. She turned from her side and pushed to lean on her back, breathing heavily. She lay on her back looking at the sky. The grey clouds moved in a poetic rhythm. She ran her fingers through her wet curled hair then ran her hands down her pasty dull face. She looked and felt half dead. Her lips were chipped, blue and purple from the ice-cold ocean, dark circles surrounded her coal-black eyes. Her eyes reflected her soul, her eyes were so filled with sadness and despair. It was only a minuscule glimpse of what she felt deep down inside. She eventually pulled herself together. She gathered her strength to pull herself up from the ground. Slowly and taking her time she rose. She looked around at her surroundings, she appeared to be on a dreary beach. All that was opposite from the shore and ocean was a cliff, which she found was dauntingly familiar. There was no way out of this place. The sea seemed calm, but as she gained closer it grew into a violent rage. Frothing vigorously at the seams, giving the girl a terrible jolt of trembling fear. She turned to the cliff. It seemed to grow taller and taller the more she looked, the horizon all around her became a never-ending sequence. The girl’s stomach tied in knots with frustration. Her heart and chest felt heavy. She fell to her knees in sorrow. Her body could no longer move, she could only feel a numb sensation tingling throughout her body. There on the bleak beach, lost with no way out. She looked to the solemn sky hoping to find solitude for her new abode. She could feel the sand pulling her like a magnetic force, the weight of her heart dragging her down. Up to her chest now in sand she fought and wriggled, her arms clawing like a wild animal fighting for survival against it but it was no use, the sands grip was too strong. Moving only made her sink faster. And like quick sand she was taken, swallowed by the ground where she lay.

Fire: Part Three

She opened her eyes in an alert manner, she found herself standing in a damp damned grey and black smudged coloured room, a boxed room. She was standing on the middle of a staircase with her eyes closed like she was in a deep sleep-like trance. In front of her, a raging fiery doorway blazed. The fire contoured the door frame leaving a dark gaping space. It gave the illusion that it was empty, that it was a safe retreat. She jerked back as the fire grew great with malicious strife. She took a step down, then paused. The gallant fire roared with might. She became besotted at the sight of it, but yet afraid. She took a few more steps down. She felt her worn-out trainers becoming wet. She looked down to see her feet were in a shallow puddle of water. The girl turned her body slowly on the staircase, and as she did the greywater slushed with her. The puddle on the stairs was nothing in comparison to the ocean-like mass of water beyond the stairs. The water felt cold, colder than ice, giving her chilling goose-bumps at the mere sight of it. The wooden step at her feet started to creak then it started to break. She stepped up a step. As the steps below her started to slowly show deterioration. Bit by bit slowly advancing towards her. She heard a voice in her head.

Choose, it commanded her.

She walked to the doorway very cautiously and slowly. She walked into the mysterious black abyss. A slamming noise came from behind, the room was gone, only a trail of fire at both sides of her were left. She started to hear the cracklings of fires and indistinct voices surrounding her.

As she drew closer, she saw shadowy figures snarling, then heard the whispers, ‘Burn with us…’ they taunted in demonic low sounding voices, ‘Burn with us,’ they pleaded. Before she knew it, a faceless black figure wearing fire suddenly appeared close to her. It tilted its oval bald head, smoking from its fiery flames. She backed off, away from the fowl thing. It’s long stick-like arm reached for her, twitching its long stick finger, trying to get closer.

Burn.

A voice came from the black creature.

The voices all around gradually started to grow louder, more of the