marandina

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I have 218 stories published in 27 collections on the site.
My stories have been read 510147 times and 294 of my stories have been cherry picked.
1369 of my 4,410 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 1382 votes

Trusted critic
marandina's picture
Paul

I am a Brummie living in Northampton who loves to write but gets distracted with other things. I enjoy horror/fantasy and anything that provokes original thought.

My literary heroes are Clive Barker, Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft. Everyone should read George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four .

I have work published by AlienBuddha Press, Loft Books, BlackBough Poems, DarkWinter Literary Magazine and Paragraph Planet.

You can find me on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-62051685

on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BeeRummie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beerummie/

at Bluesky @marandina.bsky.social

and at Threads https://www.threads.net/@beerummie

 

My stories

Empire State (Part Five) - The House in the Woods

Wicca celebrations can be based on the cycles of both the moon and the Sun. The former are known as Esbats and associated with the Goddess. Black...
Cherry

Empire State (Part Four): The Initiate

Modern day Wiccans eschew the notion of left and right hand paths – left associated with malevolence, right linked with good intentions. Not everyone...
Cherry

Empire State (Part Three) - The Devil in Tintagel

Beltane is a Greater Sabbat celebrated on May Eve. It is one of the four Sabbats that are cross-quarter days. These form the Wheel of the Year. Only...
2 likes
Gold cherry

Invisible

At between 50 and 200 nanometres it was easy to miss. In fact, everyone failed to notice as it stalked the pavement at the corner of Isambard and New...
1 likes

Escape to New York (Part One)

You could be forgiven for thinking that with a title like this, you would be getting science fiction set in a dystopian, near future starring Kurt...

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1369 of my comments have received 1382 Great Feedback votes

1 Vote

"Because I'm eighty-eight

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

"Because I'm eighty-eight
they call me an old geezer
but I'm not as ancient
as the Tower of Pisa..."

 

What a wonderful, opening stanza Luigi. Adroitly done with your customary humour and talent for poetry. Enjoy...

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Posted in A Precarious Situation

1 Vote

"...a place where the

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

"...a place where the elemental 

is welcome, willing familiars

that bring so many blessings;"

 

Another dreamy, journey into nature with Jenny. Very lovely, of course. And an adorable pic. Paul :)

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Posted in Shelter For The Weary

1 Vote

Juggling so many characters

Posted on Tue, 08 Aug 2023

Juggling so many characters with believable dialogue is no mean feat. You do that really well which makes this so readable. I know it's a story that's been going for a while. Keep going. Paul 

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Posted in Ain't Nobody (Bring Out Your Dead series - Part 29)

1 Vote

"further down the beach

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

"further down the beach

a boy rides a horse 

across hallowed sand."

 

Wonderfully evocative, Richard. You live amongst such beauty. A lucky man, you are. Paul 

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Posted in Farewell Sunlight's Delight

1 Vote

I like the contrast between

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

I like the contrast between the dialogue at the start and the escape into nature. Beautiful poetry kicks in like "..soul silent a pale shape glides between trees, perches.." And how wonderful, an owl! [Is that the owl pic on FB?]. A pleasure to...

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Posted in wising up

1 Vote

The last line is no surprise.

Posted on Tue, 08 Aug 2023

The last line is no surprise. Alfred has limited patience. Onwards to a new job, I imagine.. 

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Posted in There’s a new sick line, for calling in sick apparently! By Alfred Muggins, Call Centre Agent!

1 Vote

"Thunder explodes

Posted on Sun, 06 Aug 2023

"Thunder explodes

Across the Thracian Plain

An afternoon’s incarceration, rain..."

An atmospheric, brooding, evocative poem. I could visualise the imagery as the poem unfolded. A really nice blend of narrative and description...

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Posted in Water Under the Bridge

1 Vote

I agree with Di - staggered

Posted on Sat, 05 Aug 2023

I agree with Di - staggered that you keep two stories going at the same time and manage to keep the quality so high. "A whiff of an awful smell..."  at the end there in a tale full of intrigue and magic. Keep going, Penny :) 

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Posted in Willow's Missing Tail" 10

1 Vote

"I mainly associate classical

Posted on Sat, 05 Aug 2023

"I mainly associate classical piano music with old age, passivity, nostalgia, insomnia and peppermint chocolate." Great line :)

[Should that say "...longing easily for...."?]

Another neatly executed short story. The over simplicity...

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Posted in Simplicity meets its riddle

1 Vote

"..a gangly-leggèd harvestman

Posted on Fri, 04 Aug 2023

"..a gangly-leggèd harvestman,
maybe?"

I hope not! Aren't they huge things? Deftly done and a lot of drama packed into that vignette, Rhiannon. Enjoyed. Paul

 

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Posted in Can't escape!

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