Edition 3: The Stygian Lepus Magazine

By Stygian Lepus

A Rare Bit by Steven Holding

Autumn's Rest by Shawna Rowan

Charon's Obol by Matthew Owen Jones 

Colossus by Samir Sirk Morató

Come Back Yesterday by Emma Burnett 

Death Consumes All Time by Chloe Herczeg

Desiccant by Robert Beveridge 

Echoside by Shawna Rowan

Heroes Are Hard to Find - Part Three by Zack Zagranis

Imposter Syndrome by Robert Beveridge 

In Amelia's Wake - Part Two by J. Agombar

It Always Came Down to Food by Jodi Jensen

Last Stop, Serial Killer by John Grey

Old Gods of the Ozarks by Don Money

Pearblossom Highway by Terry Sanville

Reel of Bad Loops by Eugene Stevenson

Reluctantly Kindred by Pauline Yates

Sloe Gin by John R.C. Potter

The Key by John Grey

The Loneliest Guy by Rick Ansell Pearson

The Sorrow for Her Loss by Mary Ann McGuigan

The Spring Hare - Part Two by M. Leigh

You're All Two-Faced by Stephen Herczeg

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stygian Lepus
• Release date: Apr 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224905997

Book preview

The Stygian Lepus

Digital Edition 3

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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 © 2024 by The Stygian Lepus Magazine

First published in Australia in April 2024 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

Death Consumes All Time

Chloe Herczeg

Autumn's Rest

Shawna Rowan

Echoside

Shawna Rowan

Come Back Yesterday

Emma Burnett

Colossus

Samir Sirk Morató

Heroes Are Hard to Find - Part Three

Zack Zagranis

Reluctantly Kindred

Pauline Yates

It Always Came Down to Food

Jodi Jensen

You're All Two-Faced

Stephen Herczeg

A Rare Bit

Steven Holding

Last Stop, Serial Killer

John Grey

The Key

John Grey

The Loneliest Guy

Rick A. Pearson

Desiccant

Robert Beveridge

Imposter Syndrome

Robert Beveridge

Old Gods of the Ozarks

Don Money

Pearblossom Highway

Terry Sanville

Reel of Bad Loops

Eugene Stevenson

The Spring Hare - Part Two

M. Leigh

The Sorrow for Her Loss

Mary Ann McGuigan

Sloe Gin

John R.C. Potter

Charon's Obol

Matthew Owen Jones

In Amelia's Wake - Part Two

J. Agombar

Fiction Editor

Jodi Christensen

Fiction Editor

Dean Shawker

Poetry Editor

Kara Hawkers

With an aura of anticipation and a sense of wonder, I, the Stygian Lepus, extend my warmest welcome to you for the third edition of The Stygian Lepus. As we convene once more within the realm of shadows and secrets, I find myself exhilarated to guide you through another collection of tales that traverse the twilight between reality and the unknown.

Within the pages of this coveted tome, we persist in our expedition into the intricate labyrinth of human imagination. Here, reality dances with the surreal, and the abyss beckons with an irresistible allure. Dark speculative fiction is a realm for those who dare to peer into the depths of the uncanny and venture where the ordinary fears to tread.

Our third edition unveils a beguiling array of stories, thoughtfully selected to challenge your preconceptions and carry you into the heart of the enigma. From the eerie landscapes of horror to the uncharted cosmos of science fiction, our esteemed authors have once again risen to the occasion, weaving narratives that will haunt your dreams and provoke contemplation of the very nature of reality.

Diversity remains our guiding principle. We've summoned a diverse ensemble of voices, each as unique as the night itself, ensuring that every reader discovers their own muse within these pages. Our authors have delved into the abyss and returned with stories that defy easy categorization, transcending genres to craft experiences that will both astonish and captivate.

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

This magazine transcends being a mere collection of stories; it is a conduit to the very essence of our shared humanity—a vessel that guides 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 steadfast readers, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Your insatiable curiosity, your appetite for the enigmatic, and your unwavering support 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 forth into the abyss once more, prepare to confront the shadows that dwell both within and on the periphery. Together, we shall continue to unveil the mysteries hidden beneath the surface, for the Stygian Lepus remains your steadfast guide through the realms of the bizarre, the unsettling, and the utterly captivating.

Yours in the shadows,

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The Styg

Editor-in-Chief

The Stygian Lepus Magazine

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Death Consumes All Time

Chloe Herczeg

Our heartfelt thanks to Chloe Herczeg for allowing us to use Death Consumes All Time as the Edition 3 cover.

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Chloe Herczeg is a sixteen-year-old college student from Canberra, Australia. Despite her young age, she has already achieved an impressive number of accomplishments. In 2019, her Sherlock Holmes story, The Adventures of a Little Girl’s Tears, was published by Belanger Books, and her picture, Banjo, was accepted into the Black Dogs, Dark Tales anthology published by Things in the Well in 2020, and last year, her artwork Death consumes all time won the E.G. Harvey award at Conflux.

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Autumn's Rest

Shawna Rowan

Swirling colors and gusting winds

You thought the weather would conceal your sins

Oh how little that you knew

Lies always reveal what is really true

Beneath the falling leaves lies buried

The beautiful woman you were to marry

Every time you told a new lie

You told us more of how she died

Around her throat your hands you laced

When you with her hand she refused to grace

As you realized she was dead

The pain of guilt filled your head

You wrapped her in a shroud of lace

And buried her in her favorite place

The only way to end this mess

Is for you to freely confess

Free your sorely tortured mind

From the haunting guilt that binds

A letter written and left there

Then a leap into thin air

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Echoside

Shawna Rowan

Looking out on this gunmetal plane

Born of sadistic disillusionment

Walking warped pathways

Haunted by thoughts and misdeeds

Traversing paths distorted by tears

Hollow hallways; twisted and dark

Where black shadows of doubt converge

Lost and broken in this funereal place

Trapped inside this masochistic delusion

Seeking solace in an empty world

From doubts and fears and unhappiness

Enshrouded in midnight catastrophes

No sight to see things clear

So frightening this fog shrouded world

Do you see me as I see you

Hazy echo of a form beloved

Pieced together from endless illusions

Innocent and obscene

Untouchable, unknowable, serene

Seeking to assuage the void of my soul

Caught up in distant reverberations of speech

My mind and soul begin to atrophy

So long I’ve been on the echo side

Soon nothing will remain of me

But cold and memory

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Shawna Rowan is a mesmerizing poet whose words possess an ethereal quality, weaving intricate tapestries of emotions and imagery. Born with an innate gift for storytelling and a deep connection to the world around her, Shawna's journey as a poet has been an exploration of the human experience, delving into the depths of the heart and soul.

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Come Back Yesterday

Emma Burnett

The tiny flat smells like death. A recent death, not too much decay. But still, there is a miasma of bodily fluids and bad meat. Pen tells himself he’s used to it. He tells other people it doesn’t bother him. He’s lying.

He uses the strongest smelling laundry detergent he can find to try to scrub the smell from his clothes. His bodywash and deodorant are the most pungent he can find. He wishes he could carry a 13th century nosegay, something to mask the stench. He hates the smell of death. Which is a shame, in his line of work.

Detective Dulum?

Pen looks around the door frame. Yes?

Over here. Cathy is standing in the kitchen next to the body, the reason they’re here. It is a small body, old and sunken, a woman past the golden years of her life. She looks old, like the sort of old who has lived a lot, seen a lot. Been there, done that sort of old.

She is wearing a sleeveless nightdress and not much more. Her arms and legs are covered in tattoos. She looks almost peaceful. Except, even from the doorway, Pen can see that her face is missing.

Pen tries not to wrinkle his nose. The smell is worse in here.

He looks