Now They Are Away by Jack Calverley
Word Count: 7500 words
Critique type preference: In Person
Author Email: ja**************@*****is.com
Content warnings:
- Animal cruelty or death
- Blood
- Combat
- Death/Dying
- Disregard for personal autonomy (kidnapping / enslavement / abduction)
- Dysphoria
- Rape / Sexual Assault (or attempted)
- Violence (gratuitous / extreme)
Author Notes:
This tale is for an anthology themed on the myths of Moray, Scotland.
There is an afterword (1600 words), needed for the anthology, which explains how the tale relates to one such myth, and which I have extended with notes about the narrative itself. There is no need to critique (or even read) the afterword if you don’t feel inclined to.
I’m essentially after any and all feedback on the tale itself (which, by design, includes the introductory/prologuey bit. I.e. the first words of the tale-proper start: ‘Travel west-by-south-west…’)
There is one image, which forms part of the submission, which is of course the obligatory[!] ‘map’.
(If you want to comment on the afterword as well, of course, please do.)
The tale is medieval in flavour and leans towards horror, so it is marginally unpleasant in some aspects (some might say lurid), hence various trigger warnings, but I hope the content is in keeping with the tone of the tale, and makes sense in that context.
Notes to organisers:
I note I am over the usual word count limit, so if the story is ineligible, I understand.
Submitted: 5 July 2026
Status: New
Last updated: 15 July 2026 at 15:08 by Jack Calverley