The world’s fate lies with a comatose young girl; an android wants to remember a human she once knew under Martian skies; men at sea learn that the ocean is a realm far different from land, where an unforgiving god rules; a school security guard discovers extreme English class; and a man understands what the behemoth beneath the sea commands of him.
The Sea Was a Fair Master is a collection of 23 stories, riding the currents of fantasy, science fiction, crime, and horror. There are tales of murder, death, loss, revenge, greed, and hate. There are also tales of hope, survival, and love.
For the sea was a fair master.
Publisher: Unnerving
Publish Date: June 5, 2018
“On the Seventh Day” Excerpt
(From The Sea Was a Fair Master collection)
By Calvin Demmer
In the beginning, we were conquerors and adventurers. Our ship traversed the same deep seas as the explorers of centuries gone by. Tranquil currents and clear skies greeted us that first day. But so too did a dark shape in the water, as one of the crew members pointed out. We neared, finding an old man clutching onto a makeshift raft. Once we got the man on board, he was conscious long enough to mumble that his name was Benjamin and then collapse. The ship’s doctor took him to the infirmary, where he would look after the man until he awoke. We had done good; even the unscheduled rain that fell in the evening could not dampen our high spirits. On the second day, a couple of the men on board complained of stomach cramps. The inclement weather compounded matters, as pounding rain and turbulent seas attacked our ship. Benjamin didn’t awaken. The doctor feared he may be out for a while, as he’d suffered much punishment drifting at sea.
On the third day, one of the men claimed to see another ship far in the distance. I didn’t spot anything, but two more of the crew also said they could see the vessel as it approached us. Some of the crew complained of nausea and dizziness. I still felt fine. I did, however, wonder if there was a connection between the illness the men suffered from and the phantom ship. I ordered the doctor to perform a health check on everyone. Benjamin slept through the third day.
On the fourth day, our cook died in his slumber. Pools of blood stained his bedding, as he had bled from various bodily orifices while those around him dreamed. A crowd of men paraded on the deck at lunchtime. The imaginary ship spotted the day before had pulled alongside us…
“no two tales are similar, they are wildly different and show off Calvin’s great skills as a writer as well as his dark imagination.” – @SjbuddJ
“A flash fiction compilation that may give you nightmares.” – @Jennly
“This read starts with a bang and continues throughout to entertain…” – @WilliamBitner
“dark, edgy reading with hints of horror, the unbelievable, the gut-clenching and the just plain creepy.” – @DiiBylo
You can buy The Sea Was A Fair Master from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Calvin Demmer is a dark fiction author. His debut collection, The Sea Was a Fair Master, was released in June 2018. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe. You can find him online at www.calvindemmer.com or follow him on Twitter @CalvinDemmer.
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