don't look at a gift horse

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Huddled in the corner, Joshua Sweet burst out with a wild string of expletives.

“Don’t touch it,” he said between gasps. “I saw things.”

Simon Thunder shook his head. Joshua didn’t scare easy. In their three months together and the one month previous, he had never seen Joshua lose control, not even when they were alone together in the bedroom.

The kettle, old, dented, rusted, lay across the room. Simon felt an urge to pick it up each time he looked at it. He forced himself to check the wrapping instead. Purposely ignoring Joshua and the kettle, he read the labels on the brown paper that had covered the box the kettle came in.

Joshua’s name. That’s why he opened it. But Simon’s address and the post mark for the town of Sea Shore Side. Simon’s hometown, the place he was born, the place he had spent his first thirteen years. The place he hadn’t been to in more than fifteen years. No return address, though. He shook out the paper. He tipped over the box. Nothing. No notes or cards or any clues as to who had sent the package or why.

He’d consider it some stupid and pointless practical joke if it weren’t for Joshua still trembling on the floor. Simon noted that he only felt compelled to pick up the kettle when he looked at it. When he forced his gaze away from the pot, the craving to possess it faded and left him. He grabbed his dark sunglasses. They were UV 400 rated with a special coating that minimized color distortion and helped pick up on magical signatures.

“Danger, Will Robinson!” Simon laughed. The Robot from Lost In Space flashed through his mind. While the warning was comical, it was also deadly serious. The kettle’s aura pulsed in sharp, spiky reds. Not good. No wonder Joshua continued to hyperventilate. Simon pulled on his leather gloves that were lined with a para-aramid synthetic fiber. He hoped they’d be enough to protect him from whatever magic had infected Joshua.

He felt a tug as he bent to pick up the kettle. He wanted to pull off his glasses and gloves. He was just able to resist the urge long enough to put the pot back in its box and close it up. As soon as it was contained in the cardboard, the magically induced longing to physically possess it disappeared. Simon suspected some sort of Earth-based magic since the natural material of the box dampened the magic more than the synthetic materials of his sunglasses and gloves.

Now that the magic was contained, Joshua was calming down. His breathing was more regular and he was able to stand, with the help of the wall behind him.

“I saw my own death.” Joshua gulped. “It wasn’t pretty.”

I put my arms around him. We sat on the couch in silence until the sun’s rays hit the balcony’s windows. Evening was upon them. Joshua’s stomach grumbled. He put his hand on his belly.

“I’ll be dead within the month.”

the sea shore side spirit

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The coastal town on Sea Shore Side has a secret. The current one hundred and fifty residents are the latest generation in ten generations to keep things under wraps. Two hundred years ago, the original settlers began a long series of events that would haunt them and their children for all eternity. Unless the dead could come back and change history.

Simon Thunder had a perfect life. He lived in the city in a modern high rise condo. He drove a classic Cadillac convertible, only on the weekends as he had a driver that took him wherever he needed to go during the week: his office, his gym, the expensive restaurants he frequented and his sexy young boyfriend’s apartment. Joshua Sweet was the frosting on Simon’s cake of life.

They met at work where they both swung swords in their duties as City Constabulary. Joshua was tall and lanky and moved like water. Simon had a hard time concentrating when they were sparing during their practice sessions. The first time they struck swords, Simon had held back. He mistakenly thought his taller, bigger build would easily overpower Joshua. But the younger man had a keen sense of his opponents weaknesses and he flowed in and around Simon’s body making him work harder than he had in years. Only Simon’s vast experience kept Joshua’s sword from making contact.

Not usually an impulsive person, Simon fell in love with Joshua that first day but he didn’t do anything about it. All of his former relationships were with women. He hadn’t clue how to approach Joshua. Luckily, Joshua wasn’t shy. He asked Simon out for a beer to discuss some moves and the rest was history. They had been seeing each other for three months.

Saturday morning, while Simon was in the shower, the doorbell to his condo wrang. Joshua answered and received a package from a courier service. Simon came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel hoping for a quick tumble only to find Joshua passed out on the floor, brown wrapping strewn around him, a copper kettle held to his chest.

Simon rushed to him, knocking the kettle away. It flew across the living room. Simon listened for breathing. It was faint but there. Simon slapped Joshua face. No response. He pulled the flowers Joshua had gotten him out of the crystal vase. They followed the kettle. He tossed the water on Joshua’s head. Joshua sputtered, spitting water out of his mouth and wiping it away from his eyes. He sat up. He grabbed Simon’s shoulders and shook him.

“You didn’t touch it, did you?”

“What happened?”

“I took the package from the delivery woman.” Joshua took a deep breath. He let it out in a long, slow exhale. “I took it to the side board to leave for you and I couldn’t let it go.” He shook his head, his long wet hair sticking to his cheeks.

“I don’t understand.”

“I couldn’t resist. I ripped off the wrapping and opened the box. I reached in, grabbed the kettle like it was the Holy Grail and passed out.”