The Weight of Ashes
The first time James saw the note, the air smelled of sulfur and damp earth. It lay crumpled in the mud near his tent, ink smudged by rain. He picked it up, fingers trembling, and unfolded the paper with a…
Historical Fiction
Stories set in specific historical periods, blending fact and fiction
Read MoreThe Weight of Ashes
The Gilded Veil
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the dirt streets of Redding Creek. Clara Voss tightened her grip on the rusted revolver at her hip, her boots crunching over gravel as she approached the saloon.…
The Dust of Yesterday
Eliza’s wagon creaked like a wounded animal as she guided it through the jagged silhouette of the Sierra Nevada. The air reeked of pine and dust, a dry, acrid scent that clung to her throat. Her hands, calloused from weeks…
The Weight of Ashes
The air reeked of saltwater and smoke as Clara Bennett stepped off the creaking boat, her boots sinking into the mud of San Francisco’s dock. The year was 1849, and the town was a fever dream of tents, wagons, and…
Ashes of the Forgotten
The air reeked of burnt timber and iron, a sour tang that clung to the back of Clara’s throat. She crouched behind a splintered fence post, her fingers digging into the dirt as cannon fire roared across the field. The…
Ashes of the Forgotten
The air reeked of smoke and iron as Clara tightened her grip on the revolver, its cold steel a lifeline against the chaos. The barn’s wooden walls groaned under the weight of bullets, splinters raining down like hail. Her breath…
The Unseen Front
The air reeked of iron and damp earth as Clara knelt beside the cot, her hands steady despite the chaos around her. The surgeon’s blade gleamed under the flickering lantern, slicing through a soldier’s mangled leg with a sound like…
The Unseen Thread
The air hung thick with the scent of turned earth and burned wood as Elara knelt in the garden, her fingers digging into the soil. The sun had not yet risen, but the sky was a bruised purple, streaked with…
The Unseen Veil
The air reeked of brine and coal smoke as Clara stepped off the creaking gangplank, her boots sinking into the muck of San Francisco’s docks. The year was 1849, and the city was a fever dream of tents and timber,…
The Weight of Ashes
The air reeked of iron and burnt hair, a stench that clung to the skin like a second layer. Clara knelt beside the cot, her fingers tracing the outline of the boy’s hollow cheek. His breaths came in shallow rasps,…
Ink and Ashes
The first time Sarah Whitaker held a pamphlet printed with the words “No Taxation Without Representation,” the paper felt like a live thing in her hands, its edges sharp with possibility. It was 1765, and the air in Boston stank…
The Ember Trail
The air reeked of salt and coal smoke as Clara stepped off the ferry, her boots crunching over broken oyster shells. The San Francisco docks in 1849 were a symphony of chaos—shouts of merchants hawking gold dust, the creak of…
The Cartographer’s Shadow
The dust clung to Elara Thorne’s boots as she stepped off the wagon, her fingers curling around the leather-bound journal tucked beneath her coat. The air reeked of pine resin and sweat, a thick haze that made the sun feel…
Dustspire’s Shadow
The air in Dustspire stank of pine resin and sweat, a thick miasma that clung to Elara’s throat as she stepped off the wagon. Her boots crunched over gravel, each step echoing against the skeletal remains of tents and wagons,…
The Unseen Thread
Clara Bennett’s boots sank into the mud as she trudged past the shattered fence, its splintered planks jagged against the dawn sky. The air reeked of burnt timber and iron, a metallic tang that clung to her throat. She paused,…