A Shocking Standalone Short Story of Supernatural Justice from Literary Titan Award-Winning Author David Tocher.

In the sweltering heat of a 1991 Kootenay summer, twelve-year-old Corey Teague is about to learn that some shadows bite back...

Corey is new to Clydebank, a small town where the "Clydebank Welcome" means getting beat up. Blistering his hands mowing lawns to buy his first guitar, Corey’s lonely world shifts when he encounters Shadow, a Maine Coon with hypnotic turquoise eyes and a terrifying, magical power hidden in the town's uncultivated gully.

Inspired by the dualities of Robert Frost’s poem Fire and Ice, this story explores a world where souls can burn with rage or freeze from grief. When Corey is cornered by his relentless tormentors, Shadow reveals his true nature, wielding icy winds and razor sharp spirit claws to deliver a brutal brand of justice.

Originally appearing in the acclaimed 2024 anthology About That Snowy Evening...: Stories Inspired by Classic Poems, from Emily Dickinson to Walt Whitman & More (edited by Stephen Spignesi, Andy Rausch, and Keith Lansdale), this standalone tale by award-winning author David Tocher is a gripping must-listen for fans of psychological depth, magical fantasy, and supernatural retribution who crave a quick listen with lasting impact.

Will Corey choose the reward money he needs, or the bond of a magical protector who finally made him feel less alone?