Two Fic Tuesday for February 17th

Hi, hello and welcome!

This week I'm leaning into some witchy, magical vibes. I found both of these stories lingering in my tabs and happened to read them on the same day. They were a great duo, and I decided that they were definitely worth sharing.

They're both a little sharp in their own ways, and I really loved that. The way the two of them are shaped are certainly different to one another, but they both leave you sitting back at the endings as you let them settle around you.

Recs

Hedge Witch - Tom Johnstone - Gavagai
I love music related horror. It's one of those themes that i feel is so ripe for playing with and watching people explore it utterly delights me. This piece gives the some weird magic, music journalism, and a sharp but hazy feeling that I really dig. The witchy vibes in this are great too, and I love how expansive this could be if someone wanted to crack into it further, but that this also feels complete as is.

You Visit a Witch - Jay Kang Romanus - Kaleidotrope
I started this thinking I was going to get one kind of story and it unfolded into something deeper, and sadder, than I had expected. I love the idea of the witch and her brother, and enjoyed how we were introduced to them. It's easy to walk into a situation like this from the POV of someone who has doubts and have it be turned on its head, but I like the way the witch opened up their feelings and allowed them to grow more accepting of the siblings presence in the town. The end of this was sharper than I thought, but also kind in a strange way too. I truly enjoyed it though, and I'm excited to share this one.

I wish all of you many good stories,

• Vale

PS: If you want to find me elsewhere, I'm on Bluesky at @howsweetthewords and I have a Ko-fi and Patreon where I post prompts, more personal/writing updates, microfiction, and miscellany. Tiers start at $1, but there is the occasional free post as well.