"From Frozen Torpor" by Brian Austin — Our September 2017 Gold Medal Winner
Brian Austin is our first place winner from the contest posted in our September,2017 issue!
Meet Brian
Brian Austin and his wife live in Walkerton, Ontario. They have three grown children and nine grandchildren. Retired but actively volunteering in a number of roles, Brian has published articles and poems, a book of poetry, Laughter and Tears, and the novel, Muninn's Keep. He is a contributing author to three of the Hot Apple Cider anthologies. His idea of a perfectly furnished room is wall to wall bookshelves, a large aquarium, and a comfortable chair with an excellent reading light.
Brian has appeared in past issues of Blank Spaces with his pieces 'An Author's Reflections' (March 2017) and 'The Pathology Lab' (December 2016)
From Frozen Torpor
an excerpt from the winning story by Brian Austin
Noise – voices argue – intrude – weep – plead.
“It’s time to pull the plug. It’s been six weeks. You have to pull the plug. You have to let him go.”
Meaningless words, but they drag me up, back into the pain. Voices echo and throb inside my head.
“Listen!” I shout. “Leave me alone. Let me go.” The voices continue as if I had not spoken. The darkness beckons. The cold whispers a promise. But the voices will not release me.
I know that one voice. I feel the tears drip on my face. Something soft and warm brushes my lips. I feel a hand, hot – burning against me.
Another voice, saccharine – false sweetness – soft, but intrusive, hateful. My sightless eyes picture a witch, cackling as she sucks blood from my veins to fill her cauldron. “Get her away!” I shout. But no one listens…
To catch the rest of the story, be sure to order your copy of the December 2017 issue.
50 pages, cover art by Jibola Fagbamiye
Featuring the work of Brian C. Austin, Sue Corke, Salvatore Difalco, Jibola Fagbamiye, Sheri Falconer, Amy Holodinsky, Pamela Hopwood, D.M. Kerr, Jennifer Lavallee, Rachel Laverdiere, Geraldine Mac Donald, Tanya MacIntosh, Gail M. Murray, Carol Ann Shaw, Lorie Slater
