The man’s eyes contained a lingering remnant of vibrancy despite the departure of the soul they once served. Driven by curiosity, my boots echoed with each step towards my victim. The scratching of my chair sliding across the uneven floor broke the sudden, serene silence of the room. And as his body collapsed upon the floor, I added one more success to my mental tally. Those little moments made the act so delicious. With his last remnants of life, he pieced together what I had done.

He glanced towards his spilled glass, and then studied my face with new understanding. Instead, I raised my goblet in a final toast while he turned purple. His hand shook, reaching out in a misplaced plea for aid. His repulsive gagging, however, I endured with patience. The sweetness of both danced on my palate. I savored the fear on my victim’s face as much as my own unlaced mead. I had assumed the role of temptress that evening, but delivered a different climax.

The brothel room was sparse, and the bed in the corner remained undisturbed. With my boots propped on the table, I remember watching beads of wax roll down the candle, marking time between my victim’s spasms. 'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.The violent display of convulsions lasted longer than I anticipated. Tracey Renee Wolfe is an author, Christian, animal lover, geek, and Hokie. Ashley Williams is a Senior Creative Writing Major, beta reader, designer, and a freelance developmental editor. He is the author of In Defense of Innocence. Dave Wickenden is a retired Deputy Fire Chief. Cimone Watson is an acquisitions editor who is working toward her dream of becoming a published novelist. Carla Vonzale Lewis is a writer and homemaker. Her essay The Third Plane is included in the anthology How the Light Gets In. Milly Thiringer is an editor, a sketch artist, and an essayist. She is the author of Apricots and Wolfsbane. Pohlkamp is an aerospace engineer who works in Mission Control.

Myra Fiacco ghostwrites professionally for a real estate tycoon and runs a publishing company during her 'free' time. She has also had work performed in London, Hong Kong, and New York. Sarah Evans has had many short stories published in anthologies, magazines, and online. Melissa Eskue Ousley is the author of Pitcher Plant and The Solas Beir Trilogy. Salena Casha is a YA writer and coffee addict. Deana Birch is a Contemporary Romance and Erotica writer.

Chris Barnham is the author of Fifty-One.

Apricots and Wolfsbane by K.M. Pohlkamp