Excerpt from THE TOWER

 Hi folks! I'll be submitting a short story I have named The Tower to my writing group's Halloween anthology very soon! It is a paranormal fantasy novella at ~10k words. While I get the story ready for publication in October, I wanted to share an excerpt from the story to see what you all think! Let me know in the comments of wherever you're reading this <3

CW: talk of demons, talk of angels, ghosts, the supernatural, paranormal phenomena, the occult

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The next morning, I woke up knowing I needed answers. I immediately hoisted my laptop from my desk next to the bed to my lap and started reading over that article about repeated tarot cards again.

Most of the information was garbage, just blurbs about deeper meanings, shadow work, and higher beings sending messages. But it was that last part that caught my attention. I clicked on the post, which apparently had been buried pretty close to the bottom of the page, and read on.

According to author XoXoGhostie, repeated tarot cards, especially when linked to real-life events, could be spirits or higher beings like non-Christian demons or angels trying to send the reader a message, or asking for help. Whatever that message was varied, but until the spirit or being had their business resolved through the help of the reader, the same card would continue to be drawn, and more real-life events would manifest.

I drew my lips into a tight line. Was it possible that some sort of spirit was trying to get my attention? And then who was it? And why involve me?

Instead of acting on impulse, I called my friend Camille. For one, she had been friends with Robbie too, and I suddenly wanted to check in on her, and two, she knew a lot about the occult as well. I figured having two brains instead of one might be useful, though I wasn’t sure how she’d handle my story.

“You know this sounds crazy,” she’d breathed sharply into the phone as I explained the two drawings of the Tower card and the events that had followed.

“I know but… dude, just listen. I really think something weird is going on. Will you just come?” I almost begged, my voice pitching at the end. I hadn’t realized I’d been on the verge of tears this whole time, but having my sanity questioned, despite having questioned it myself, was sending me into a spiral.

I heard Camille sigh. “Yeah, I’ll be there tomorrow night. I’m bringing my toothbrush, so this better not be bullshit, Bea.”

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The mystery thickens! Thanks for reading if you did, and let me know if you'd like to read more! <3

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