The Soul Eater was born in Auburn, Michigan to a same-sex lesbian couple, Jackie and Jackie Number Two. It had a happy childhood, got good grades in school and had lots of friends.
When the Soul Eater went away to college–choosing to study marine biology at the University of Maine–it went through a period of self-discovery, as is want to happen during one’s formative years. Among other things(a fondness for Experimental Jazz, the works of Ginsberg, and anal) it had a realization that it, in fact, liked to eat souls.
A lot.
So much so, that it went through no less than EIGHT roommates before the administration decided to put it in a single room.
The jig was up when one day, during a lecture on the migratory patterns of the guppy, it turned to the unfortunate person sitting next to it and ate them up in front of everyone. Well, the professor did the only sensible thing she could have done: denounced the Soul Eater as a witch and rallied the entire student body into an angry, pitchfork and torch wielding mob. A tale as old as time.
The Soul Eater managed to escape, though by the skin of it’s hideous, pointed, soul-encrusted teeth. (Finding a dental plan that would cover a Soul Eater was something it’s two moms just couldn’t manage). It wandered the country, seeking a place where it could belong, eating souls wherever it could. Then, one day, when the Soul Eater was at its lowest, divine providence. It managed to land a job at as a janitor at an outpatient Hospice care center. It was perfect. Not only could it eat the souls of those who were just clinging to life, it could clean up nasty stains.
Some say the Soul Eater is there to this day. Others, claim that it moved on, that the souls of the dying elderly were too lean, so it moved on to hang out at raves, where it would prey upon those that were totally tripping balls.
You know what I say?
I say you should probably read about it in my new short story in the “Between the Cracks” anthology, out TODAY by Sirens Call Publications.
This story is NOT a humorous one, as the above would have you believe. This is my first foray into writing in the Gothic style, a foray that I feel is very successful. My goal for this story was to write a kind of horror story, but not, as I am most definitely NOT a horror writer by any definition. Pipe Dreams of the Soul Eater is more about the decline of man, the indulgence we embark on to escape what is life.
And, it happens to have a monster.
I wrote this to be in the style of a classic Gothic story, meaning, it takes place centuries ago; at least two. I took cues from both Poe and Lovecraft in regards to scene setting and overall pacing. Honestly, it was hard to reign this story in, as I, along with my characters, became lost in the vibrant world I had created. Yes, I am aware of how douchey I am sounding right now, but piss off, I am on a roll here.
I did take on the cliche of using opium as a central theme of the story. One can find this, and other drugs of that common age, littered throughout classic Gothic stories. However, I found that by adding in the “monster” that is the Soul Eater, I was able to twist that old chestnut to my will.
What is a Soul Eater, Kile? Well, I am not thrilled that you asked. A Soul Eater is a creature out of African folklore. In a sense, it shares some common characteristics with a vampire, but not all. The legends vary, but the consensus is that the creature can either be born that way via a curse, or a person can be transformed into one by either dark magic or curse. These creatures believed that a person’s soul existed in the form of shining blue rock in their stomachs. The Soul Eater would suck the souls out through their victims’ mouths, leaving them either with a terrible wasting disease or in piles of dust.
Kewl stuff.
Per my post on tattoos , I have a version of my Soul Eater tatted up on my arm, in the crook of the elbow:
Coming for them blue stomach stones
Now, the piece is out, ready to be read by the masses. Check out my Short Stories section for ordering details and here for more information on the anthology itself.
And as always:
Kile the WonderBoy!! 