"I'm a two hundred fifty year-old vampire" excerpt from Dark Journeys anthology

Excerpt from A Problem with Werewolves. Dan's girlfriend presents him with an unpleasant surprise.

Monique stepped back, and her eyes captured mine. “I’m a vampire.”

A three-word statement of the impossible, I thought. I searched her face but failed to detect any sign that she was joking or subjecting me to some test.

“I’m a two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old vampire. I was born in a small chateau not far from Grenoble. A distant relative attacked me when I was thirty years old and made me into an undead creature. After that horrible evening, I lost my husband and two daughters. They were eleven and seven.”

I couldn’t swallow, and my racing pulse thrummed throughout my body. Her serious manner didn't change. I looked at the remaining whiskey and downed it in one gulp. Though the room was chilly, perspiration formed on my forehead. This isn’t real, I thought.

  In Dark Journeys, short stories and dark poems describe perilous paths taken by mortals, vampires, and other creatures of the night. Some survive, others do not. Why not join them on their journey through the gates of hell, so to speak.

The True Story of A Vampire by Count Stenbock Eric - free vampire short story

The True Story of A Vampire by Count Stenbock Eric shows that vampires are not always what they appear to be, nor are their appearances uniformly the same. However, they inevitably inflict destruction on the people and families that encounter them. This is one man's tale of how a vampire entity enters his, and his family's life to their utter dismay.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzZFYqsJhXG0ZjRkYjhjYzktZjVjYy00MWU2LWE0ODgtZjcwY2ZhZWI3N2U0&hl=en

In Dark Journeys, short stories and dark poems describe perilous paths taken by mortals, vampires, and other creatures of the night. The stories and poems tell of the painful, and sometimes fatal, relationships between mortals and vampires.If this sounds interesting, and I hope it does, please follow the link and buy the anthology for only $.99.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM

Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott.

Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse, by Louisa May Alcott is a story about bad things that happen when people tamper with mummies. Of course, most people don't believe in such curses. However, maybe you will change your mind after reading the story.


http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzZFYqsJhXG0YjNhMGE5MDUtMzgyYy00ZDcwLWEzNWMtYjQ5NmU0OGNkMDQ3&hl=en

English: Headshot of Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888), American novelist, at age 20 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Nameless City by H. P. Lovecraft

The Nameless City by H. P. Lovecraft is a horror story about a man who ventures into an old and abandoned city once populated by a race of beings totally unlike humans. There he faces forces beyond his comprehension.

http://www.scribd.com/full/15592431?access_key=key-vtrphf2idtufz5sucum

In Dark Journeys, short stories and dark poems describe perilous paths taken by mortals, vampires, and other creatures of the night. One story is about the surprise that awaits a mortal man when he has a picnic with the Queen of the forest. In A Problem with Werewolves a mortal male and his beautiful female vampire lover battle a pack of werewolves and a hideous demon. Dark poems tell of the painful and sometimes fatal relationships between mortals and vampires.If this sounds interesting, and I hope it does, please follow the link and buy the anthology for only $.99.

 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM

A Recent Review of Dark Journeys

Below is a review of  Dark Journeys taken off Amazon.com.

"Dark Journeys by Neil Benson is an anthology of dark poetry and short stories. The poems are romantic and chilling. The poems read slower than the short stories as you absorb the subtle nuances and emotions.

The short stories should be read when you're prepared to stay awake listening for the creak of a door and lithe, resolute feet that don't belong...feet hundreds of years old. Will the vampire choose you? Look over your shoulder...tonight.

Here are a few great turns of phrase from the anthology:

"A tall, horrid creature arises, and greets the night with a howl."

"At more than three hundred pounds, he knew he shouldn't eat sugary treats, but his resistance to the temptation was lower than his intelligence."

"His eyes darted about like two small marbles bouncing on an interstate highway."

"They looked like cylindrical silver jewels rather than instruments of death."

If you want to know where these tantalizing tidbits originate, you'll just have to buy Dark Journeys by Neil Benson. Fantasy isn't just for children.

I gave it four stars--I would have liked the stories to drag out the suspense with more details. Vampire lovers will find Dark Journeys to be a fun and spine tingling read."

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM

from A Problem with Werewolves short story in Dark Journeys

Clouds covered the moon, and I couldn’t see what had caught her attention. A brief shaft of moonlight revealed an enormous, heavily muscled werewolf, close to seven feet tall. When the beast opened its mouth, three-inch-long canines glistened in the light. This was the alpha male whose pack we had just destroyed. Its massive chest and arms made Shaquille O’Neal look slender. As it slowly moved toward Monique, I put the shotgun to my shoulder and closed the distance with the beast.

The werewolf strode to within fifteen feet of Monique when it suddenly changed direction and charged at me. The beast ran so fast I barely had time to pull the triggers. It anticipated my action and pivoted to the side, avoiding both bullets. The werewolf turned and resumed its charge. I grabbed a slug, but I knew I didn’t have time to pull the trigger before it would be on me. I cringed as I awaited its attack. The werewolf was less than three yards from me when it fell forward and hit the ground with a loud thump.

I fired both barrels as the beast lunged at me. The giant figure staggered backward after the slugs entered its chest. It stopped, then took a step in my direction, even though blood flowed freely from two large wounds. I reached for more ammunition, but I had used all the slugs in the bandoleer. The beast took one more step toward me, and I grabbed the end of the barrels.........

The Screaming Skull by F. Marion Crawford - free horror story

The Screaming Skull by F. Marion Crawford is a tale about an unusual skull. The story describes the man who owns the skull and its horrible effects on other people. Doesn't everybody have a pet skull? If not, then read this story.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzZFYqsJhXG0ZWMzNmZmZDMtM2I4ZC00ZGMwLWE0ZDctOTE4YzY3MDU1Yjg2&hl=en

English: American novelist Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909). Detail from a photograph by Zaida Ben-Yusuf, published in the "Saturday Evening Post", 1 June 1901, p. 13. George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott.

Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse, by Louisa May Alcott is a story about bad things that happen when people tamper with mummies. Of course, most people don't believe in such curses. However, maybe you will change your mind after reading the story.


http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzZFYqsJhXG0YjNhMGE5MDUtMzgyYy00ZDcwLWEzNWMtYjQ5NmU0OGNkMDQ3&hl=en

English: Headshot of Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888), American novelist, at age 20 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott.

Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse, by Louisa May Alcott is a story about bad things that happen when people tamper with mummies. Of course, most people don't believe in such curses. However, maybe you will change your mind after reading the story.


http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzZFYqsJhXG0YjNhMGE5MDUtMzgyYy00ZDcwLWEzNWMtYjQ5NmU0OGNkMDQ3&hl=en

Ligeia by Edgar Allen Poe - free vampire short story

Ligeia, by Edgar Allen Poe, is a tale about a man who meets Ligeia, a tall, slender woman living in a decaying city by the Rhine River. He notes her her pale, cold, ivory skin, which he somehow finds attractive. Unfortunately, Ligeia dies and leaves our protagonist grief stricken. But is she gone forever? Read the story by the Master and find out.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzZFYqsJhXG0ZWMxMjE4MTQtYmQ4Yy00Mjg2LTg2NTUtMzQ1MzhiZjY5OGIx&hl=en