I have a short-short story titled "The Sketch" appearing in this week's issue of Bewildering Stories.

"A haunting can last from youth to a very old age"

Here's an excerpt:

The artist perched on the crest of a dune, sketchpad in hand. He worked swiftly in pastel, racing to capture the scene before he lost his vision in twilight shadow.

The dunes undulated, a serpent wriggling its way around the coastline. A mild breeze blew in from the ocean, rustling the green scrub and rattling the yellow, white and blue wildflowers that burst in bright patches over the dun, sandy heights. A few gulls soared overhead. Their cries, the repetitious washing of surf on the shore, and the wind soughing through the sparse foliage were the only sounds heard in this remote place.

The artist stopped sketching. He set down his pad, pulled off his wire-rimmed glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. A ray cast by the dying sun slanted across his white-stubbled jaw, highlighting his hard, thin face like a moonbeam limning a carving on a headstone.

You can read the story free online at Bewildering Stories (see the link below)

http://www.bewilderingstories.com/iss...