books
published by Winding Road Stories
stray ink.
Heaven’s Shutting Gate – Short Story
Back in 2013, I was writing lots of stories about Jack the Ripper. Maybe a phase lots of writers go through based on some of the rejection letters I got. A little story was picked up by a now-defunct publication called Penumbra. I got paid a pro-rate, my first real sale. $89. Recently the story got picked up as a reprint by MetaStellar. The story is called Heaven’s Shutting Gate. It’s about a time traveler who decided he’s going to kill every serial killer. Which proves easy for known killers, such as Bundy, or Manson, but more difficult for unsolved cases such as Jack The Ripper. Check it out below. Fun Fact. This story was the moment a writing friend/mentor taught me the industrial-sized power of editing. He moved the ‘rules’ this time traveler follows to the front of the story (I had them buried somewhere in the middle). You’ll see it makes for a chilling beginning. Just who was this brilliant writer? Christian McKay Heidicker who went on to win the Newberry Award.