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#204 Cobwebs and Candles

I inherited her shop in the will. The familiar bell over the door brought me back to my childhood when I’d spend my weekends here, watching as my aunt did readings in the back room. A place I was never allowed to enter.

As her only living relative, I wasn’t surprised she left her shop to me. The register, covered in cobwebs. It had been nearly a decade since it was last opened.

I went to the back room first and found her private office. On her desk, the Life candle, its flame still flickering.

“I’ve been waiting for you…”

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Cobwebs and Candles

Paranormal, horror, and fantasy fiction courtesy of a tea-swilling curmudgeon. New stories every week.

By Lauren Salas

Special thanks to for being a part of the Substack Fiction Community and now a part of my 100 Word Story journey.