Strange Stories

By Rich Feitelberg

A collection of bizarre and strange short stories including:

The Pen -- A magic pen brings success to a struggling writer, but at what cost?

The Wayward -- Lost souls are all around us. What happens when they come for you?

Pairings -- An old man's loneliness brings an unexpected woman into his life.

The Box -- A wish-granting box suddenly appears. Where did it come from? Is it even safe to use?

Glorious Food -- A bariatric procedure seems to have worked unless the patient gets a taste for blood.

The Thing at the Top of the World -- What unspeakable horror lives at the North Pole?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rich Feitelberg
• Release date: Mar 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224787272

Rich Feitelberg

Rich Feitelberg is a poet and novelist, author of the fantasy series, the Aglaril Cycle. He also has collections of short stories and poetry available too. Rich is an avid map collector, and student of popular culture. Growing up on a steady diet of comic books, science fiction, and fairy tales of all kinds, Rich soon began weaving his own tales at a young age. These activities continue to this day, as Rich is working on many new projects, and writing more poems and stories.

Book preview

Strange Stories

Revised 2nd Edition

Rich Feitelberg

ManaSoft Books

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

PRINTING HISTORY

The Pen originally published February 2012

The Wayward originally published January 2014

Pairings originally published July 2014

Secluded Place originally published October 2014

The Box originally published December 2014

Glorious Food originally published January 2015

Even Ghosts Can Die originally published February 2015

The Thing at the Top of the World originally published March 2015

First Collected Edition published March 2015

Second Printing September, 2015

Second Edition 2017

Revised Second Edition 2022

Copyright © 2012-22 by Rich Feitelberg

Visit http://feitelberg.net/aglaril/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aglarilcycle

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may not be reproduced or transmitted in whole or part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission by the author.

ISBN 13: 978-1-5454370-4-9

MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To my brother David,

Who likes to read stories

The Pen

Randy sat at his desk and turned on his computer. As was his habit, he checked his email first. Five new messages appeared in his inbox. One was from the online bookstore recommending new purchases, one came from his writer’s group with an invitation to attend the next meeting, one had been sent from the bank promoting a home equity loan, and one was from his wife, Darlene, reminding him of all the chores around the house he needed to do today.

He ignored all these and focused on the last message. It was from Fantasy Monthly, the online magazine he had submitted his latest story to.

Double-clicking the message, a new window popped up and Randy read the mail eagerly.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Greg’s World. Unfortunately, your story isn't quite what we're looking for right now. Each month, we receive hundreds of submissions and while I may like many of them, I can only publish twelve of them per year.

In the past, we've provided detailed feedback on our rejections, but I'm afraid that due to time considerations, we're no longer able to offer that service. I appreciate your interest in Fantasy Monthly Magazine and hope that you'll keep us in mind in the future.

Randy sighed and filed the mail with his other rejections.

Maybe I’m not cut out to be a short story writer. This rejection makes the thirty-seventh I’ve gotten on my stories. At this rate, I’ll never be published.

He sighed again and got up. He needed to get away from this for a while. Sure, he got rejections; what writer didn’t? He just needed to be patient.

Briefly he thought about all the chores around the house Darlene wanted him to do.

Screw her. If she wants them done, she can do them. I need a break.

He went downstairs, grabbed his coat, and went for a walk. That should clear my head.

* * *

Randy walked for hours lost in thought, trying to come up with a new idea, a new angle for a story that someone would like and buy.

His stomach growled and he looked around for a place to eat. Suddenly he realized he didn’t know where he was. He checked the GPS in his phone. He was near the corner of Main and Fifth Street.

He tapped another app to find an eatery nearby. Fred’s Pizza. 0.23 mi away. Three stars and not expensive. It was the not expensive part that mattered most.

He crossed the street and noticed an antique store a few doors down. Looking in the window, he spied an old globe and some old books on display. His hunger faded and he went inside.

Scanning the books, he saw several titles he would like to own: a copy of the Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens from 1850 complete with the illustrations from the original magazine it had been serialized in; an old atlas with old maps from 1892; and a first edition of Winnie the Pooh. If he only had the money for even one of these, Randy would’ve snatched it up without a second thought. As it was, looking at the books was more depressing than anything else.

He could charge the purchases, of course, but then he would have to justify them to Darlene. That was an argument he wanted to avoid.

He headed for the door and noticed that the display case by the cash register had several old pens. One in particular had the face of a wizard carved into its wooden body.

He got the storekeeper’s attention. How much for that pen?

The man looked. There were three pens in the case. Which one?

The one with the wizard’s face.

The merchant shrugged. Two dollars.

Does it work?

Sure. Want to try it?

Please.

The antique dealer opened the case, took out the pen and handed it to Randy. It felt good in his hand. Balanced and a solid writing tool. The man plopped a pad of scratch paper on the counter. Randy signed his name on it to get a feel for the flow of the pen on the surface of the paper.

It was wonderful. Effortless. Randy looked at the pen and noticed the eyes, painted red. They flashed for an instant. A tendril of fear surfaced in Randy’s mind but it was forgotten as a story idea popped into his head.

Without a second thought, Randy gave the man two dollars and left. This was one purchase he wouldn’t have to justify.

* * *

Randy ate quickly and rushed home. He wanted