Storyfeather Gazette: A dead magician, a smart fridge, unruly blood, and something not-quite-right lurking in the television

Published over 1 year ago • 3 min read

April 2025 Issue 1

In this issue: A round-up of the March stories and podcast episodes, and a heads up about a slight change I'll be trying out.

Circle format, a three-quarters view of Nila's smiling face from a photo with an oil paint filter applied.

CHALLENGE THYSELF!

In March I decided to go for it and tackle the genre I consider the most intimidating to write: mystery. For one thing, how could I not just write five stories in a row that read like different episodes of a typical procedural show? You know what helps? A little of genre-blending. 🎨

🔍

Greetings! I'm Nila. Every week, I release a new short story and a new podcast episode spanning the genres of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, mythology, fairy tale, fable, and horror.

Whether you're in the mood to read or listen, I've got stories to tell you.

Here we go...

A March of Mysteries

Do the clues make sense? Are the endings satisfying? Could you figure out where the story is going before you get to that ending? Each short story released in March was a mystery.

🎙 And if you’d like something a bit different, perhaps a bit of science fiction? The podcast episodes below center on stories of extraordinary inventions and extraordinary abilities.

Titles and taglines below. Enjoy!

Short Stories

Digital drawing. A composite of three main elements. At left, top of a rocky tower with rough finger-like protrusions at the crown, and a serpentine dragon winding around it. The dragon’s eyes glow red and yellow. At right, rendered in thready strokes of paint, a boy from waist up, seen in three-quarters view, smiling down at a large yellow tart, decorated with slices of yellow fruit at the outer edge, that he’s holding up with both hands. He wears a hat and a shirt with dark buttons and a light collar. Background, rainbow shades radiate from top center from a bluish green iris-like circle. Dark shadow arcs along top edge. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along serpent’s body at bottom left. Copyright notice at bottom center reads, “Copyright © 2025 Nila L. Patel.”

We're in Year 12, the Year of Praxis. The word essentially means "practice." Through the stories, I'm exploring elements of my writing practice.

Each link below leads directly to the story post.

THE PILFERED PRODIGIOUS PEARL
Two private detectives are hired to track down a two-ton treasure made of solid rock that vanished in an instant, leaving only a puff of dust behind. 🥚

THREE PIGEONS ON A STOOL
A dead magician, a determined detective, and three nervous witnesses—this trick was never meant to be see. 🪄

JULIE AND HER NEW FRIDGE
Through her new smart fridge, a woman starts a friendship with someone who may or may not be a real person. 🧊

ROOM 86 CHANNEL 4
A young man checks into a hotel, and a week later is found near death, with a remote control in his hand, looking fifty years older. 📺

GLIMPSES OF AN EMPTY ROOM
An investigator is locked in a room with only thirty minutes to discover clues, find the key, and get out, before the room is filled with poison gas. 🔑

Podcast Episodes

Digital drawing. At center, figure seen from chin to mid-thigh, wearing a top with no sleeves, a shirt or blazer tied around the waist, and a watch around the left wrist. The ends of the figure’s short hair dangle just below the chin. The right hand grips the left at the elbow. The left arm dangles. Rivulets of blood trickle from a wound on the left shoulder. They trickle down the arm, but also float across the body and out from the arm, condensing into larger blobs. Behind the figure is a glowing background with spatters bursting out from the center. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along figure’s right hip.

We're in season 8, the Year of Revisitation. Each episode is a standalone story, but it's inspired by an earlier story.

The text links below go to the Explore page on Storyfeather, where you can listen to the episode, find the links to the episode(s) that inspired it, and more.

Pressing on the Spotify embed image leads to the episode's Spotify page.

MY EVERY EXISTING MEMORY

An inventor of a memory management device realizes his invention is showing him a memory he hasn’t experienced, a dangerous memory.

My Every Existing Memory

Mar 7 · Storyfeather

43:20

WHAT IS PERMANENT DAMAGE?

A locked door, surrounded by scandal and rumor, stands in the middle of an office. No one ever goes in or comes out.

What Is Permanent Damage?

Mar 14 · Storyfeather

39:13

UNSTABLE BLOOD

A woman with unique blood and a man with an uncanny sense of smell are targeted by a shadowy corporation seeking to shut down all research into synthetic blood.

Unstable Blood

Mar 21 · Storyfeather

39:28

THE DARK ORGAN FACTORY

Two friends uncover the truth behind the mysterious industrial accident that shuttered an organ preservation factory and cast its owner into ruin.

The Dark Organ Factory

Mar 28 · Storyfeather

35:33

Parting words🪶

I'd like to try something different for the next issue, and going forward, assuming it works out. I announced this for March, but ended up not doing it. So let's see how I follow through in April. Instead of recapping a month's worth of storytelling in one issue, I'll break it up between two. This way I can keep it moving, keep it lean, and still have room to include a little something extra sometimes, like a book or podcast recommendation, a poll, a random quote perhaps.

If you're enjoying my stories, I'd love to hear about it. You can reply to this email to let me know. Likewise, if you've got any questions.

Until next time, happy reading and listening! 📚
—Nila

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