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Cast of Wonders 102: The Tell-Tale Heart

“The Tell-Tale Heart,” first appeared in The Pioneer, Vol. 1, No. 1, at page 29 (which was published in Philadelphia during January, 1843). It is now available in the public domain.

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The Tell-Tale Heart

By Edgar Allen Poe

TRUE!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
(Continue Reading…)

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Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 6)

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 6) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:29 — 7.0MB)

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Show Notes

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching is a Cast of Wonders production brought to you by Wolfsbane Publishing. It features the voice talents of Kate Baker, Adam Black, Tina Connolly, Graeme Dunlop, Christiana Ellis, Marguerite Kenner, Alethea Kontis, Alasdair Stuart, Ian Stuart, and Barry J. Northern. You can learn more about the world of Camp Myth at our website, castofwonders.org.

The Camp Myth theme music, “August”, is by Cast of Wonders’ favorite musical artist Alexye Nov, at MusicAlley.com.

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 6)

By Chris Lewis Carter

Welcome back, campers! Ready for Chapter 6?

Last week Argee showed us he really doesn’t like to be teased, and then the roc carrying their bus lost one of his handles, sending Felix skyward!

Quick! Let’s find out what happens to Felix!! Where were we, campers? Ah yes…

This week’s camper spotlight is Anthea, Herald of the Forest.

Felix says “Sitting in the limbs of the Peridexion tree, Anthea the Dryad says there’s no place in the world where she feels more in tune with nature. I was going to tell her I’m so bad with plants that I once managed to kill a small potted cactus, but I decided to draw her this picture instead.”

Anthea was invented by Elizabeth Verbraak. You can find the picture of her on the Camp Myth webpage.

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Cast of Wonders 101: Custom Made

Custom Made first appeared in The Colored Lens, a magazine of speculative fiction, in February 2012.

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Custom Made

by Sylvia Anna Hiven

The first time it happened was with a button.

It was gold and shaped like an acorn, and snapped loose from a man’s overcoat as he bumped into Valenka on the street. Clattering into the gutter, it came to a stop against her scuffed boot.

Valenka hadn’t experienced much magic in her life—only gray days spent tugging at sleeves for coins. Still she understood that something special happened when she picked up the button. All the walls of her mind fell away, and into her head, accompanied by the chilly Prague breeze, swept the man’s past.

That man is good, she thought, holding the button in her little fist. He has a wife and two daughters whom he kisses goodnight each day. He kissed another woman once, but only once, and he regrets it still. He gives coins to a lame man in Petrin Hill Park on Sundays. And he loves God. Yes, the owner of this button is a good man.

After that, it happened more frequently. People’s pasts came to her uncalled as she brushed against shoulders in the market, or when she picked up someone’s forgotten glove in an eatery. When she was seventeen and found employment as a seamstress in Dvorak’s Tailor Shop, it became an unavoidable part of her life. Each piece of silk had a story to tell, and each strip of macrame whispered a past. Valenka learned about grief through black funeral gowns, and understood the meaning of passion as she mended ripped lace blouses. Lives, although she did not live them, passed before her eyes.

Mostly, experiencing memories was effortless and her ability showed her everything there was to know. Other times, the past only seeped into her mind in elusive glimpses. But never had Valenka seen someone’s future.

Not until she touched the hem of a murderer.
(Continue Reading…)

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Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 5)

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 5) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:47 — 9.0MB)

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Show Notes

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching is a Cast of Wonders production brought to you by Wolfsbane Publishing. It features the voice talents of Kate Baker, Adam Black, Tina Connolly, Graeme Dunlop, Christiana Ellis, Marguerite Kenner, Alethea Kontis, Alasdair Stuart, Ian Stuart, and Barry J. Northern. You can learn more about the world of Camp Myth at our website, castofwonders.org.

The Camp Myth theme music, “August”, is by Cast of Wonders’ favorite musical artist Alexye Nov, at MusicAlley.com.

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 5)

By Chris Lewis Carter

Welcome back, campers! Ready for Chapter 5?

Last week our campers took to the skies, and we learned that Argee likes crossword puzzles. And apparently the mysterious voice in Felix’s head does too…

Let’s continue with the story! Now listen close campers, where were we. Ah yes…

This week’s episode art is a camper spotlight of Drew, the Flora Photographer.

Felix says “Drew the Centaur is always happiest when he’s taking pictures or discovering weird plants. Sometimes, if he’s lucky, he can do both at the same time, like when he stumbled across a fully-matured Mandrake. I didn’t stick around to see how things turned out, though. Never trust foliage that might be smarter than you. It’s a rule of mine.”

Drew was invented by Kate Trgovac. You can find the picture of him on the Camp Myth webpage.

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Cast of Wonders 100: Final Time

Cast of Wonders 100: Final Time is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:27 — 23.4MB)

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Show Notes

Today we present Final Time, by Jeff Samson. Jeff has been here before, with Episode 74, The Gods of Stone, the story of a godlet who finds that he is, well, rather rooted to the spot. It’s a short, funny story; go check it out if you’ve not heard it before.

Final Time

by Jeff Samson

The boy stood at the podium, his hands fumbling at its edges, his body trembling.  He was breathing hard into the microphone, the rhythmic rush of air peppered with the hisses and pops of half-formed syllables lodged in his throat.  Sweat slicked his brow, causing his oversized glasses to slip down his nose.  Dampness leeched from his armpits, saturating his blue polo in growing circles.

He shook his head and drew a deep breath.

“Cou…,” he started.  “Could I have…have…”

He flicked droplets of sweat from his forehead onto the chestnut-stained podium.  His shuddering turned his words into a Morse code-like staccato.

“Have…,” he stammered, hung on that single sound.

The audience gasped as he jolted back from the podium, clutching his hands to his stomach.  He stood perfectly still, eyes wide yet vacant, as if he were momentarily elsewhere.  

He brought his hands to his face, covering his mouth as his cheeks swelled.

He bolted past across the stage, past the remaining contestants and the empty seats along the backdrop, past Natalia sitting near the end of her row.  As he darted from the shadows of stage left and into the light of the hallway, Natalia saw the vomit spray from between his fingers.  It looked to her as if the boy had been clenching a handful of mustard packets and squeezed them until they burst.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, she thought.

She stared into the dimly lit audience that rumbled with confusion and concern. The expressions on their barely visible faces mirrored those of her remaining fellow contestants. Then she looked at the panel of judges, whose wide eyes and gaping mouths unsettled her even more.

Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong.
(Continue Reading…)

Genres:

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 4)

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 4) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:03 — 8.4MB)

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Show Notes

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching is a Cast of Wonders production brought to you by Wolfsbane Publishing. It features the voice talents of Kate Baker, Adam Black, Tina Connolly, Graeme Dunlop, Christiana Ellis, Marguerite Kenner, Alethea Kontis, Alasdair Stuart, Ian Stuart, and Barry J. Northern. You can learn more about the world of Camp Myth at our website, castofwonders.org.

The Camp Myth theme music, “August”, is by Cast of Wonders’ favorite musical artist Alexye Nov, at MusicAlley.com.

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 4)

By Chris Lewis Carter

Welcome back, campers! Ready for Chapter 4?

Last week we learned Felix is a fae, and we met both Argee the Cyclops and Lil the Dryad. And did Lil just say flight? I hope Felix and Argee aren’t afraid of heights!

Let’s find out what happens next! Now listen close campers, where were we. Ah yes…

This week’s camper spotlight is Sebastian, the first class golem crafter.

Felix says “Fae aren’t known for their creativity, but Sebastian is able to build Golems that are incredible works of art. For some reason, though, he keeps calling them “Marionettes.” When I asked if he could teach me his secret, he told me to look up some school named “Vermilion Academy.” I’ll have to check it out!”

Sebastian was created Studio Kontrabida. You can find the picture of him on the Camp Myth webpage.

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Cast of Wonders 99: Little Wonders 3 – Scary Stories

Cast of Wonders 99: Little Wonders 3 – Scary Stories is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:04 — 24.0MB)

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Come With Me

by Beth Hull

Everything about her suggested impermanence.

Maybe that’s why we were drawn to her.

It wasn’t just the ethereal blond waves of her hair, or the goth-pale skin of her slender hands. It was her total, absolute ease at being the new student in our tightly-knit prep school.

She drifted into junior home room on a lotus-scented breeze.

Every guy sucked in a breath, and the girls—we don’t know what the girls were doing because we could see only her.

“Come with me,” she said, singling each of us out. For a day, for an hour, for a week we were her best friends, her lovers, her confidantes. But none of us knew anything about her—not where she was from, not the school she went to before ours, not even her name.

“Call me Beatrice,” she said.

“I’m Circe,” she said.

Morgan. Hermione. Rebecca. Medea. Anne. She was all; she was none.
(Continue Reading…)

Genres:

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 3)

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 3) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:28 — 13.4MB)

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Show Notes

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching is a Cast of Wonders production brought to you by Wolfsbane Publishing. It features the voice talents of Kate Baker, Adam Black, Tina Connolly, Graeme Dunlop, Christiana Ellis, Marguerite Kenner, Alethea Kontis, Alasdair Stuart, Ian Stuart, and Barry J. Northern. You can learn more about the world of Camp Myth at our website, castofwonders.org.

The Camp Myth theme music, “August”, is by Cast of Wonders’ favorite musical artist Alexye Nov, at MusicAlley.com.

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 3)

By Chris Lewis Carter

Welcome back, campers! Ready for Chapter 3?

Last week Felix checked in for his journey to summer camp. We saw more of the creatures Felix shares his world with, and we learned about all the types of supernatural contraband the camp keeps an eye out for. I wonder what golem scrolls do…

Now listen close campers, where were we. Ah yes…

This week’s camper spotlight is Amelia, the Aquatic Animal Admirer.

Felix says “Sirens are known to form lifelong bonds with sea creatures, which explains why Amelia found it so hard to leave her pet Tiger-Dolphins, Umbra and Penumbra, back home for the summer. I drew this picture to help make her feel better. Also, to learn more about Tiger-Dolphins. Turns out, it’s a Siren thing. Figures.”

Amelia was created by Dwayne Hart. You can find the picture of her on the Camp Myth webpage.

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Cast of Wonders 98: Daphne’s Daughter

Cast of Wonders 98: Daphne’s Daughter is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:39 — 16.3MB)

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Daphne’s Daughter

by Jennifer Tiemann

When the man came into her sphere of perception, she had almost not realized he was there, concentrating as she was on the new nest of cardinal chicks that rested high on her south side. So occupied was she on shifting her branches just so to protect the nestlings, it wasn’t until the male cardinal reacted with alarm that she turned her awareness down from her branches to her roots.

At first, she thought he was a sapling – he was so very small. Then she remembered that no, that was the size men generally came in. What was startling to her, though, is that she perceived that he was colored much as she was; his body was a rich green and there was a tuft of bright red at his top end, almost exactly the color that she herself became when the cold winds began at the end of the Summer.

She understood that this was a male man, and not a female man, because deep inside still lived the memory of the part of her that had once been human.  She and all her siblings were female; there were no males in her family- except for her father, whom she saw but seldom.

The man put his hand out and touched her body lightly. She shivered – this had never happened before.  She had perceived men near her in the past, mostly their small ones, (children, she suddenly remembered they were called) but none had actually touched her. She wondered if he saw what some other men had seen when he looked at her. Much had been sung and written of her kind, particularly her mother.

All of her sisters were slightly different, but they had this in common; tall, straight trunks with heavy crowns of leaves; the crowns representing their sovereignty in the sight of the gods. Their gently curving trunks and twin upraised branches hinted at the womanly spirit hidden within.  She doubted that this man saw anything but a birch tree. Most didn’t.
(Continue Reading…)

Genres:

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 2)

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 2) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:02 — 8.4MB)

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Show Notes

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching is a Cast of Wonders production brought to you by Wolfsbane Publishing. It features the voice talents of Kate Baker, Adam Black, Tina Connolly, Graeme Dunlop, Christiana Ellis, Marguerite Kenner, Alethea Kontis, Alasdair Stuart, Ian Stuart, and Barry J. Northern. You can learn more about the world of Camp Myth at our website, castofwonders.org.

The Camp Myth theme music, “August”, is by Cast of Wonders’ favorite musical artist Alexye Nov, at MusicAlley.com.

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 2)

By Chris Lewis Carter

Welcome back, campers! Ready for Chapter 2?

Last week you met Felix, the protagonist of our story. Felix is obsessed with the human world, and he offered to tell you this story in exchange for learning more about human history. Did you take him up on it? Let’s see what Felix has to tell us this week.

Now listen close campers, where were we. Ah yes…

This week’s camper spotlight is Zerra, the Solitary Shifter.

Felix says “Kitsune tend to be loners by nature, but Zerra takes having personal space to the next level. I managed to stumble upon her hideout in the Forgotten Forest, and it’s actually nicer than a lot of the cabins! The best part, though, is her Roc feather hammock. Wish I’d thought of doing that.”

Zerra was invented by Magentawolf. You can find the picture of her on the Camp Myth webpage.

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Cast of Wonders 97: The Monster & Mrs. Blake

Cast of Wonders 97: The Monster & Mrs. Blake is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:54 — 18.3MB)

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The Monster & Mrs. Blake

by Alethea Kontis

Jeremy Blake took a snorkel to bed. An eleven-year-old boy was way too old for such nonsense, but he didn’t know what else to do. There was a monster under there. A big one. And it was going to kill him.

He hadn’t given the monster a name, like Jabberwocky or Wendigo or even Boogeyman. Mom always said that naming your fear made it real. Like having a pet. Once it had a name it was part of the family, for better or worse.

The monster had been with Jeremy since he was little. It started out as a shadow, haunting the corners of his eyes and scaring him into bed every night. It had stayed in that form for years before the noises came–a scratching at the window, the creaking of the closet door, deep, soft breathing. Like a cat’s purr. A big, evil cat.

By the time Jeremy was nine, the monster was strong enough to move the bed. It liked feeding off his fear in the wee hours of the morning. Then it started to feed off his flesh. If he left his foot outside the covers, the monster bit at his toes with its many little mouths and tiny pointed teeth. If he rolled over and left his side exposed, the monster would scratch him from hip to armpit with its razor-sharp claws.

It hadn’t left a mark… yet. But some days, Jeremy’s feet were a mass of pins and needles that forced him to limp to the bus stop. Some days, his side hurt so badly he couldn’t raise his hand in class to answer questions.

He could only hide under the covers for so long. It was only a matter of time before the monster became smart enough to catch him, strong enough to lift the covers, and real enough to kill him.
(Continue Reading…)

Genres:

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 1)

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 1) is a Cast of Wonders original.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:33 — 7.0MB)

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Show Notes

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching is a Cast of Wonders production brought to you by Wolfsbane Publishing. It features the voice talents of Kate Baker, Adam Black, Tina Connolly, Graeme Dunlop, Christiana Ellis, Marguerite Kenner, Alethea Kontis, Alasdair Stuart, Ian Stuart, and Barry J. Northern. You can learn more about the world of Camp Myth at our website, castofwonders.org.

The Camp Myth theme music, “August”, is by Cast of Wonders’ favorite musical artist Alexye Nov, at MusicAlley.com.

Camp Myth: Phoenix Watching (Chapter 1)

by Chris Lewis Carter

Hello campers! Are you ready for supernatural summer camp? We’ve been so excited getting this story ready for you, we hope you enjoy it! Welcome to Phoenix Watching, the first Camp Myth novel by Chris Lewis Carter.

Don’t forget to check out the Camp Myth section of our website where you can find links to all the episodes each week as well as artwork. You can even buy your own copy of Phoenix Watching or the Camp Myth role playing game.

Now listen close campers, we’ve a tale to tell! And it all started like this…

Each week in addition to a chapter of Phoenix Watching, we’ll share with you a piece of art featuring another camper at Camp Myth.

This week’s camper spotlight is Kaelan, the Centaur Inventor.

Felix says “So what if Kaelan needs a brace on his back leg? He’s without a doubt the smartest Centaur I’ve ever met! In fact, his backpack full of spare parts always manages to have the right tool for the job. He’s even working on a special GPS program to help Minotaurs with navigating their labyrinths. Talk about innovation!”

Kaelan was invented by Andrew Webster. You can find the picture of him on the Camp Myth webpage.