We really did shuffle things up after Issue 6 and it’s been a delight to have Reginald here in the PRL offices. I’m glad that VIV has become a more consistent presence here as well and I’m excited that the Serials are expanding and evolving as we chug along in the mission of bringing you the best serial fiction on the internet.
Reginald is fairly new to writing, but his enthusiasm for the spirit of the Serials – our desire to tell entertaining stories while becoming better at the craft of storytelling – was evident to all of us and we’ve enjoyed helping him realize a story and make plans to bring you even more in the future.
The future is boundless, dear readers, and we hope to walk boldly into it with you.
Enjoy the issue and we will see you back here very soon.
* * *
This week:
– – –
Leeland seems to have met entities that aren’t hostile to him and want to make him a slave. That’s nice, he deserves a break. His new friends are the Gods of Earth and they may have a way to help him leave the Dreamlands.
The Black Dream Cycle: “The mountain was unfathomably tall and by the time we made it to the base, I had stopped looking up. The mountain of the Stony Desert was solid as far as I could tell, not like the mountain on the moon where I had encountered the Moon Beasts. That mountain had an entrance to mines carved within and under it.”
– – –
I have to issue a content warning. This story deals with the issue of suicide. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, reach out to someone you trust for help. You can always call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Wes E. L.’s Relationships and Men:“I sat down with a close friend for lunch one afternoon and we were both very quiet at first. I ordered an omelet because I like eggs enough to eat them at any point in the day. I could eat eggs well after the sun sets and I often do.”
– – –
Jarrold is shook and it seems that reality was changed in the last issue. What happened, and why does the dog from his fantasy keep showing up? The answer is elusive, and the journey to the truth is getting creepy.
Test Reality: “Jarrold looked around himself. He was stunned. Then he saw her face, the fear of a passerby who, just as she approached the spot where he had been sitting at the park, saw the world around her plunge into darkness. From the shadows, trees had sprouted, grass took root and was overgrown in an instant.”
– – –
It’s a Two-in-One today as the prose poem continues, sending echoes across time. Maybe the world, experience as we know it, is just a cycle through good and bad times. It’s not depressing, it’s just reality, and we can weather it by making art.
Life in Marvelous Times (2010) II / A Muse: “To be out is nice. It feels like a luxury when you allow yourself the green to blow on the frivolous, the empty items, like a tv, that have the potential to become lifelong companions. I’d reach back into childhood to bring up my Sit-n-Spin in a split second if I had the ability.”
– – –
Chapter One ends as Rodney Coffey finds something to be optimistic about. Pandemics are no joke, and finding something to inspire hope is essential. If only that hope could guard us against bad things.
They Live: “The last news that Rodney Coffey received from his daughter and eldest child, Lashon, was good news. It made Rodney so happy that he forgot about his nightly routine of waiting until he was sure that his sons were asleep or lost in video games or movies in their rooms, before turning on the tv and listening to the grim reports of the deadly pandemic that was sweeping the globe.”
– – –
Max was invited to the summit! I’m so jealous, man. He didn’t even mention it, he knew I’d be mad. Well, here’s hoping he has some nightmares.
Welsh Rarebit: “Before everyone woke up, I made a phone call. There was someone else we’d all expected to arrive that night for dinner, and to stay through our last day and night.”
* * *
It’s the PRL Serials Volume 1! Tomorrow may be full of doubt, but you, dear readers, can count on the PRL for the best serial fiction on the internet.
* * *
PRL Serials 