We are more ready to try the untried when what we do is inconsequential. Hence the fact that many inventions had their birth as toys.—Eric Hoffer

Thaumatrope is a twitter fiction magazine for
Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror fiction
under 140 characters—edited by @nelilly.

stories

February 14th, 2009

After years of wanting and dreaming of her, I finally held her heart. Warm, sticky and drenched in blood, it was raw, just like my love.

When Aja runs my tongue up her chest it feels fantastic, but I’m distracted by the way trading bodies plays hell with personal pronouns.

At last, after years of dating, of searching, of terrible romance ads: true love. She smiled and stepped into the mirror, embracing herself.

She screamed when the goons I’d hired beat me and fainted when they chopped off my head; a historically accurate Valentine’s was a bad idea.

Her finger traced a bloody heart. “Another lovely Valentine’s Day”, she sighed, leaving the bloody symbol next to her date’s twitching body.