Joey and Mauler held the handkerchiefs to their faces as the smell of burning flesh seeped into their souls. They chanted the malediction they’d learned from the warlock with muffled voices, hoping they’d remembered it correctly.

That evening, the beast came and corrected them. It breathed in their scent, hungrily.

James Kowalczyk was born and raised in Brooklyn. He now lives in Northern California with his wife, two daughters, and four cats. His work has been published in numerous publications both online and in print. He teaches English at the high school and college level.