Saturday means it’s time for Rainbow Snippets, the meme where readers and writers share six lines from a piece of LGBTQ+ fiction. This weekend, I’m sharing from “When The Big Moon Shines” by Carl Redlum in Myths, Moons, and Mayhem, a paranormal anthology of male ménage a trois that I edited that came out last month. It’s the story of Henry, a college student intent on hunting down the man who turned him into a werewolf. The gay couple next door seem like they might be able to help—or maybe they’re trying to get in the way.
It’s a story that starts out as bleak and lonely, but as the tale progresses, threads of hope and light begin to weave into the narrative. Henry’s journey pulled me in.
These six sentences open “When The Big Moon Shines”:
Henry frowned at the four bare walls of his new bedroom. Two were the solid stone of the foundation; the other two sported new chain link against bare drywall. His father hadn’t even bothered to paint. Daylight streamed through a tiny slit of a window. But during those terrible nights, he might be able to wiggle through it. They’d better block it up before he could try.
Carl Redlum was born and raised in Oregon where he spent his childhood chasing deer and getting lost in the woods. He entered the world of publishing backwards by working for years as a typesetter before selling his first story.
You can read more from “When The Big Moon Shines” in Myths, Moons, and Mayhem, and check out other snippets from the book here.
Have a great weekend, and happy reading!
Love the description. Doesn’t sound like his transition has gone over very well. ?
Well, he doesn’t stay in the basement forever 🙂
Oh, poor guy. Those bleak surroundings can’t be helping him come to terms with his changed life.
Intriguing! I’m drawn by this small detail he’s noticing in the middle of his hunt.
I never realize how dark some of my writing is until I see it in other media. With this, I was trying to ground the supernatural world with emotions that are understandable and familiar, also I could show how Henry escapes that dark place. The story is really about hope, even if it takes a few trials to get there.
Pretty bleak! Sounds more like a dungeon than a bedroom.
The description is ominous…makes me shiver. Want to know more!
I started out feeling not very charitable towards his father, but he seems to agree with the treatment. Why, though? … very intriguing snip.
More of a dungeon than a bedroom. And drywall will easily come down given enough force. Sounds like a horrid place to find yourself no matter the reason.
Vivid description. It sounds like a bleak place.
He’s going through a rough time, but eventually finds his way out–with some help 🙂
It’s very bleak and evocative. Can’t wait to see where he goes from here.