Each week, I send out a story via my email newsletter. Each story is around 1000 words, sometimes less, sometimes more. The stories are in a variety of genres: supernatural, thriller, sci-fi, horror, and sometimes romance, and all of my stories typically feature a gay protagonist.
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This is story number 24 of the series. Enjoy!
The Kin-kin’s Kiss
Hayden’s fingers flew across the keyboard, the gentle tapping a soothing rhythm in the otherwise silent apartment. The glow from his laptop screen cast eerie shadows on the walls, but he barely noticed, lost in the world he was creating. As a horror novelist, Hayden thrived in the dark, both literally and figuratively.
A sudden crash from the kitchen made him jump, his heart racing. He glanced at the clock – 2:37 AM. Who else would be up at this ungodly hour?
“Hello?” Hayden called out, his voice wavering slightly. No response.
He stood up slowly, grabbing the heavy paperweight from his desk. The floorboards creaked under his feet as he made his way to the kitchen, each step careful and measured.
The kitchen was empty, but a shattered mug lay on the floor, coffee spreading in a dark puddle. Hayden frowned. He didn’t remember leaving a mug out, let alone filled with coffee.
A chill ran down his spine as he bent to clean up the mess. That’s when he saw it — a set of wet footprints leading from the puddle to the back door. They weren’t human.
Hayden’s breath caught in his throat. The footprints were small, almost child-sized, but with odd protrusions at the heel and toe. They looked like… claws?
His mind raced, trying to recall any creature from folklore that matched this description. As a writer of paranormal fiction, Hayden prided himself on his knowledge of mythical beings, but this… this was something new.
The back door stood slightly ajar, a cool breeze wafting in. Hayden’s instincts screamed at him to close it, lock it, and call the police. But curiosity, that damned writer’s curiosity, urged him forward.
He stepped outside, the damp grass tickling his bare feet. The full moon cast an otherworldly glow on his small backyard, creating deep shadows perfect for hiding… something.
A rustle from the bushes made Hayden whirl around, heart pounding. “Who’s there?” he demanded, trying to keep his voice steady.
A high-pitched giggle answered him, followed by words in a language he didn’t understand. The voice sounded childlike, but there was an undercurrent of… something else. Something ancient and decidedly not human.
Hayden took a step back, his writer’s mind furiously cataloging details for later use. The giggle came again, closer this time, and Hayden caught a flash of movement from the corner of his eye.
He turned, and there it was – a small, humanoid creature with skin like polished obsidian. Its eyes glowed an eerie green, and its mouth… Hayden’s breath hitched. Its mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth, curved like fishhooks.
“What… what are you?” Hayden whispered, torn between fascination and terror.
The creature cocked its head, studying Hayden with those unnerving green eyes. When it spoke, its voice was like wind chimes in a storm. “Kin-kin,” it said, the word somehow both melodious and grating.
Hayden’s eyes widened. He knew that name, had come across it in his research on Mesoamerican mythology. The Kin-kin, a mischievous spirit known for causing trouble and… stealing souls?
“Why are you here?” Hayden asked, his voice steadier now. He was on familiar ground – interviewing a supernatural being wasn’t so different from creating one in his stories.
The Kin-kin’s lips curled into a smile that was equal parts charming and terrifying. “To play,” it said in accented English.
Hayden swallowed hard. “Play what?”
The creature’s grin widened. “Hide and seek. You hide, I seek.”
A chill ran down Hayden’s spine. He had a feeling this wasn’t a game he wanted to play. “And if you find me?”
The Kin-kin’s eyes gleamed. “Then I win. And I take prize.”
Hayden didn’t need to ask what the prize was. He could feel the weight of his soul pressing against his ribs, suddenly very aware of its presence… and its vulnerability.
“And if you don’t find me?” Hayden asked, stalling for time as he tried to remember any weaknesses the Kin-kin might have.
The creature shrugged, a surprisingly human gesture. “Then you win. I leave. No harm, no foul.”
Hayden’s mind raced. He knew his apartment inside and out – every nook, every cranny. If he could just outsmart this creature…
“Okay,” Hayden said, surprised by his own boldness. “Let’s play.”
The Kin-kin clapped its hands in delight, the sound like breaking glass. “Wonderful! Close eyes, count to hundred. Then I seek.”
Hayden nodded, his heart pounding. As he closed his eyes and began to count, he heard the patter of the Kin-kin’s feet on the grass, moving away.
When he reached a hundred, Hayden opened his eyes. The backyard was empty, the only sound the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. He took a deep breath and headed back inside, his mind already formulating a plan.
Hayden moved swiftly through his apartment, gathering supplies. Salt, iron nails, a silver letter opener – all things he’d read could ward off supernatural creatures. He scattered salt across the thresholds of doors and windows, placed iron nails in strategic locations, and kept the letter opener close at hand.
Then, he made his way to the one place in the apartment the Kin-kin wouldn’t expect – the crawl space in his closet. It was tight and dusty, but Hayden managed to squeeze in, pulling the closet door shut behind him.
Time passed slowly in the dark, cramped space. Hayden’s muscles screamed in protest, but he didn’t dare move. He could hear the Kin-kin moving through the apartment, its childlike giggles interspersed with frustrated growls.
“Where are you, story man?” the creature called out, its voice uncomfortably close. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
Hayden held his breath as he heard the closet door open. The hangers rattled as the Kin-kin pushed through his clothes. For a moment, all was silent.
Then, a clawed hand burst through the wall of the crawl space, inches from Hayden’s face. He bit back a scream, scrambling backwards as the Kin-kin’s glowing eyes appeared in the hole.
“Found you,” it said, its voice filled with wicked glee.
In a panic, Hayden thrust the silver letter opener forward. The Kin-kin shrieked, recoiling as the silver touched its skin. Hayden didn’t waste a second. He burst out of the crawl space, shoving past the stunned creature.
He ran through the apartment, the Kin-kin hot on his heels. As he passed through doorways, he heard the creature hiss and spit, the salt lines slowing it down.
Hayden made it to the living room, his eyes darting around for anything he could use as a weapon. They landed on his laptop, still open on his desk. An idea struck him.
He whirled around to face the Kin-kin, who stood at the edge of the room, its green eyes blazing with fury and hunger.
“Wait!” Hayden cried out. “Before you take my soul, don’t you want to know why I was awake so late?”
The Kin-kin paused, curiosity overtaking its anger. “Why?”
Hayden gestured to his laptop. “I’m a writer. I was working on a story… about you.”
The creature’s eyes widened. “About… Kin-kin?”
Hayden nodded, slowly moving towards his desk. “Yes. Would you like to hear it?”
The Kin-kin hesitated, then nodded eagerly. Hayden sat down at his desk and began to type, speaking aloud as he wrote.
“In the heart of the jungle, where the mists hang heavy and the trees whisper secrets, there lived a creature known as the Kin-kin…”
As Hayden wove his tale, the Kin-kin crept closer, its eyes fixed on the screen. Hayden poured every ounce of his skill into the story, crafting a narrative that painted the Kin-kin as a misunderstood being, lonely and seeking connection.
Hours passed, the sky outside lightening as dawn approached. Finally, Hayden typed the last sentence and looked up. The Kin-kin stood beside him, tears glistening in its otherworldly eyes.
“That… that is Kin-kin?” it asked, its voice small and wondering.
Hayden nodded. “That’s how I see you.”
The creature was silent for a long moment. Then, it reached out and gently touched Hayden’s chest, right over his heart. “No need for soul,” it said softly. “Story is better prize.”
With a smile that was now more sweet than sinister, the Kin-kin stepped back. “Thank you, story man,” it said. And then, in a blink, it was gone.
Hayden sat in stunned silence, the events of the night washing over him. Then, slowly, he began to laugh. He turned back to his laptop and started a new document.
“The Kin-kin’s Kiss,” he typed, grinning to himself. This was going to be one hell of a story.
As the sun rose, painting his apartment in warm, golden light, Hayden kept writing. He had faced his fears, outsmarted a mythical creature, and gained inspiration for his next novel. All in all, not a bad night’s work for a horror writer.
And if, in the years to come, he sometimes heard a childlike giggle in the dark of night, or caught a glimpse of glowing green eyes… well, that was just part of the job, wasn’t it?
THE END