Two Former Rogues

by Clayton Smith

"Smith's Brightsbane tales are modern-Gothic masterpieces...equal parts murky mystery and magic, they are absolute must-reads for anyone, adult or child, who enjoys a good fairy tale."


Welcome to Brightsbane, a strange, faraway land where it is always nighttime, even at the height of day. Here, you'll find brave children, evil wizards, magical fountains, monsters under the bed, demons under the lake, and crows that don't take too kindly to being double-crossed.

In this fairy tale from the land of nighttime, two highwaymen have been sentenced to hang by the neck until dead, and that sentence has just been carried out. But death is a tedious thing, and these two former rogues don't plan on going to their graves quietly.

14 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2014

About the author

Clayton Smith is a writer, teacher, and entrepreneur based in Chicago. He is an assistant professor of instruction in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department at Columbia College Chicago, and he is the co-founder of Media Empire Media. His work includes the novels Apocalypticon, Anomaly Flats, and Na Akua and the comedic plays Death and McCootie and The Depths.

Reviews

[Joseph Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There will probably come a time when Smith's dark comedy ceases to amuse me, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. As someone who enjoyed but did not love "The Boy Who Trucked With Crows," I was glad that "Two Former Rogues" managed to make me giggle the same way "The Keyhole Heart" did. In this incredibly quick read, Zoumbrus Gray and Bartauk Fogg share a hilarious back-and-forth discussion regarding the etiquette involved with taking a dead man's shoes, as well as Gray's dismay upon learning they would be "spending the rest of eternity ear-to-ear with the Banjo brothers." The writing is fun and fluid, and Smith doesn't hesitate showing off his impressive skill with alliteration as you reach the end of the story. I can see this becoming standard fare when reviewing Smith's work, but I'll say it anyway: you need to check this out.

[Caroline Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macabre and cute fairy tale! (yes, macabre AND cute)