Of Critters that Gnaw our Bones

In moments personal… or moments strange… a gnawing can be felt that wears down the core of our souls. Whether it be from a situation, an experience, a thought, or an entity, the same effect is always produced. The more this phenomena occurs, the more exposed we become to the truth of our own individualistic existence— a nurturing of nature, so to say. Presented by three short stories in this appropriately titled anthology, the leads in each tale are tossed into that very process of the gnawing, coming out at the end as a new person, or rather, the truer form of their previous self. Follow them all through this metamorphosis in Of Critters that Gnaw our Bones, containing “A Gift from It”, “The Man with Twenty Fingers”, and “A Mask made of Gold, Silver, and Platinum” by B.A.D. ! A Gift from It It is the night of Halloween, and the young child, Otis, decides to venture out alone on his quest for candy. He experiences many ups and downs during this solo journey around his neighborhood...followed by the daring decision to trek beyond his normal community in the pursuit of sweets. It is here, within a strange yet familiar house cloaked with an odd mystique and an auspicious air, that the young child comes face to face with an even stranger creature. A conversation occurs between Otis and this creature who calls itself "It", concluding with a gift being given to the young child at the end of their encounter. The Man with Twenty Fingers In a bizarre world resembling many similarities to our own, a man is born with twenty fingers. After having lived a majority of his life in solitude, ostracized for his deformity, he regains a lost hope of being normal when a mysterious letters arrives at his door. Bearing an unknown address, short instructions, and a promise of finding his "answer" at the destination, the Man with Twenty Fingers promptly sets out on this journey crafted by the letter. Along the way, he encounters a number of people experiencing their own struggle in life, and eventually he does reach the location that holds his answer...but not all is as it seems. A Mask made of Gold, Silver and Platinum Within a twisted dimension where suffering and agony is weaved into the very existence of its reality, a small community no longer has the means to provide food for their village. A small band of its people, including among them a woman named Annabelle, form a pilgrimage to the Red Castle in hopes of finding salvation. Upon their arrival, Annabelle and the rest of the group discover that the Red Castle is not such the reverent structure they imagined it to be...nor is its ruler, the prophet who communicates to the gods via an ornate mask, the savior figure they'd hoped for. After an altercation occurs between Annabelle and the prophet king, she is thrown into the dungeons and forced to endure many nights of torture. However, it is within this state of excruciation that Annabelle finds her owns means and methods to get in communication with the gods...and when a voice answers back, Annabelle becomes changed forever.