Claire Guérin
Bio
Fancy meeting you here! I write speculative short fiction and sometimes poems. I dream of becoming a published, full-time author. If you like my writing on Vocal, please share and follow me wherever is most convenient.
Stories (20)
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Why I'll never win a challenge. Top Story - December 2022.
Alright, I'll admit I may have exaggerated a little in the title, just to get your attention. Did it work? In truth, always and never are far too big words for so little a confession I have to make. You see, I have a vice. Call it a downside, an indulgence, or a weakness if you prefer.
By Claire Guérin3 years ago in Confessions
Death, interrupted. Top Story - December 2022.
Kirn's death is rudely interrupted by a droning sound outside the house. Screwing her eyes shut tighter, she draws a labored breath. It doesn't matter, she reminds herself, there's nothing out there: as the last human on Earth, she's certain of this much. This sound must be an illusion, some auditory hallucination from dehydration. It means she's nearly there, finally one foot in the grave! Appeased, she pushes her hand over the bed sheets to squeeze Ashami's cold arm. She only manages a caress, but that's enough to draw them closer together: they were linked in life, and soon they shall be in death too.
By Claire Guérin3 years ago in Fiction
Dark Bee The Soul Of Envy. Top Story - April 2023.
1906, Isle of Wight (United Kingdom). Your sister Harriet has brought you with her on a trip to The Isle, which in itself is quite exceptional. Used to living inland, you are now surrounded by sea. Besides, your family could have never afforded to come to this prized resort, with its micro-climate, baths, soft yellow sand and beautifully trimmed grasslands renowned for its beehives. A beautiful picture indeed, were it not for your sister's husband, Wilbur. The boat trip was rocky, at least by your terrestrial standards, although your brother-in-law made a point of clapping your shoulder with a condescending "Stop whining so, Leslie, the sea is calm today!"
By Claire Guérin3 years ago in Fiction
Entries From Douglas A. Lawson's Private Journal
Preface In 1971, Douglas A. Lawson - paleontologist and at the time a graduate student at UT Austin - made a discovery that would revolutionize our understanding of the evolution of flight. The following excerpts from his private journal have survived time and oblivion, and are revealed to the public for the very first time.
By Claire Guérin3 years ago in Fiction
Parthenogenesis. Top Story - January 2023.
Big Claws was looking at the young ones on the beach, and felt a pang of jealousy toward the other females lying around, oblivious to their own luck. She wished she too could create youngsters. She knew she should be able to, but that power somehow kept escaping her. What did the other females do, that they were capable of creating life? What did she do, that she wasn't allowed the same faculty?
By Claire Guérin3 years ago in Fiction
I Am The Feathered Serpent. Top Story - December 2022.
Ô Quetzalcoatl, Precious Serpent, Wisest of Men and Second Sun, please heal my daughter, though she has been cursed. Tlamacazqui says the White Teotls have hexed her with disease brought with the morning from across the vast ocean, and only you can save her, he says. Ô Quetzalcoatl, Precious Serpent, Creator of Worlds, God of the Winds and Mover of Cycles, please accept this offering and in return, heal my daughter as I send her to you.
By Claire Guérin3 years ago in Fiction
