Fantasy Tales

By K. A. Williams

In this collection of 11 fantasy short stories you can ride dragons, wield magic with sorcerers, and meet Bigfoot. What are you waiting for?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: K. A. Williams
• Release date: Jan 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224169009

K. A. Williams

North Carolinian K. A. Williams has had over 300 stories and poems published in many different magazines including SavagePlanets, The Creativity Webzine, Yellow Mama, The Blotter, Corner Bar, 5-7-5 Haiku Journal, View From Atlantis, The Sirens Call, Tigershark, and The Yard: Crime Blog. ​​ Apart from writing, K. A. enjoys music (especially classic rock), CYOA, and science fiction movies. 

Book preview

Hunting Bigfoot

Maybe Troy told Greg that he saw Bigfoot out here yesterday, while he was collecting samples of the flora for his botany class, because he knew you were listening. Parker skipped a stone across the lake’s surface. He’s been mad at you ever since you stole his girlfriend last semester. He’d like to see you waste your time on a wild goose chase.

I don’t think so, Carl said, Stacy and I aren’t even together anymore, and this place is as good as any to look for Bigfoot, woods with a lake where fresh water and fish are available. Besides, I looked it up on the internet. There was a Bigfoot sighting here last year.

Parker and Carl walked slowly around the lake, peering behind all the trees and shrubs. Parker stopped. You never did tell me why you and Stacy broke up, but if you don’t want to talk about it.

The leaves were changing from summer green to an autumn mix of gold and red. Carl jerked a red leaf from a nearby tree. She thought we should be able to date other people and not just each other. Carl shredded the leaf. So now she’s dating jocks. I saw her with Steve, the quarterback of the football team, last week. Carl tore a vine from the tree and plucked leaves off of it.

Uh, maybe you shouldn’t be doing that.

Why? Are you a plant lover like Troy?

No, but isn’t that poison ivy?

Carl looked at the clusters of three leaves on the vine he’d just snatched off the tree. Uh-oh. He went to the lake, squatted down, grabbed some mud from the edge and vigorously scrubbed his hands before rinsing them in the water and wiping them on his blue jeans. Think that’ll help?

Parker shrugged as Carl stood up. Let’s hope it was some other kind of plant with three leaves, but you might want to get some calamine -

Did you see that? Carl interrupted.

Parker looked in the direction Carl was pointing. I don’t see anything. What was it?

Well, it looked big, but it ducked behind a tree fast.

You think it was Bigfoot?

Let’s head that way. Carl pulled his phone from the pocket of his windbreaker.

Parker copied Carl. When they got to the place, whatever it had been was gone.

Parker spotted something first the next time. Look! On the other side of the lake. Hurry. When they got there, they didn’t see any creature or movement.

He’s playing hide and seek with us.

Why would he do that? Parker asked.

I don’t know. Maybe he’s bored. What happened between you and Belinda? You used to spend your weekends video calling her instead of hunting Bigfoot with me.

We’ve just been drifting apart ever since she went to that university up north. We only saw each other on holidays, I’d go up there or she’d come down here. But the last couple of holidays, she’s made some kind of excuse. I think she’s seeing someone else but doesn’t know how to tell me. Parker selected another flat stone and skipped it twice.

Movement in a distance caught Carl’s attention. Do you see those bushes right over there beside that leaning tree?

Yeah, let’s go.

They had only gone a short distance when they saw two shaggy creatures emerge from the underbrush. One was larger and picked up the smaller one, carried him to the lake, took a few steps into the water, and then threw him on in.

Parker and Carl moved closer and videotaped the incident with their phones. Parker followed the bigger Bigfoot with his camera as he vanished back into the woods. Wow! We’ve seen two Bigfoot!

They gave each other a high five. "Did you get a