The mind was dreaming. The world was its dream.
― Jorge Luis Borges
The day before she died, his Nana told him the story of the evil jinni who would shape-shift into a beautiful woman and lure men to their death.
“Why would men go with the bad jinni?” the twelve-year-old Raj asked.
“Because men follow a pretty girl anywhere.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“Just wait,” his Nana told him, “you just wait.”
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“Hoofbeats on Ice” (about 4000 words) is a work of literary psychological horror rooted in Middle Eastern jinn folklore. It follows a man whose jealousy and obsession begin to blur the boundary between imagination and supernatural reality. Set against an unnaturally cold California winter, the story draws on forgotten folklore, desire, and memory.
“Hoofbeats on Ice” is currently looking for a home.