Mathias Nobel Hadberg

“Bigloft” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Samanda blew out misty breath in front of her. It was painfully cold so near the mountain’s peak, but she didn’t mind. In truth, she relished it. The sting of the frost on her skin was a nostalgic feeling. Even so, she pulled her new wooly cap down an inch further. She had brought a well-used one to the honeymoon skiing trip, but it had vanished a few days ago when Bran had tackled her out on a piste. The cap must have fallen off her when she tumbled, laughing, to the snow. As they headed back to the resort-lodge for a new cap, Bran had joke...

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“Final Call” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

The radio crackled and spoke. Henrik and Beth could hear a man’s voice, the tone heavy with the understanding of the events across North America.  “This is Matthew Dale with the Colorado Daily. I regret to inform our listeners that this will be our final broadcast.” The man made a noise somewhere between a chuckle and a groan. “I would ask you not to worry about us, but I know that you all have plenty on your plate already. I will attempt to be brief.” Matthew Dale continued with a report of the progress of the firestorms ravaging the n...

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“Lavýrinthos” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Lagoros looked at the crack in the floor of the labyrinth. When he held his torch close, the light could barely illuminate the walls of the space beyond the split cobblestones, let alone the black abyss beneath Lavýrinthos. The drop beneath would likely drop him into the Underworld should he fall into it. He reached down to take hold of his sword, to secure it doubly lest it slip as he passed the pit, but dislodged a pebble with a careless step. He held his breath and moved against the wall, suppressing his presence as best he could while he...

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“Red Sargasso Memories” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Hello, my name is Colin Germenhauer and I am a professor of biology at Miskatonic University in Arkham, with a specialty in the marine life close to our shores. If anyone should ever read this, it is quite possible that I am dead, mercy be, or admitted to an asylum. I cannot rightly say or explain why I am writing this down, for it brings troubling memories and experiences bubbling to the surface, but even so I feel it must be done.  All my life I have been fascinated by living creatures. What they do, how they do it and, most important...

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“More than a Mistress, Not Yet a Wife” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Inspired by the song “You’ve Haunted Me All My Life” by ‘Death Cab for Cutie’. All locations, people and events are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental. Mrs. Follwick was standing in her front garden when the lime-green car rolled up. If she had not been pulling up a clump of dandelions when it parked, she would have noticed that one of the front-lights was out. The slight whine of rubber-on-glass alerted her to its presence and she looked up into the face of a young man looking out the window at her. He w...

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“The Orphan at St. Pelnuss” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Father Ognacius sat down with a contented sigh. Spring had arrived on the mountainside with a fanfare of bird-song and fresh flower-buds. Clouds drifted lazily across a blue sky and the sun was only just now beginning to dip behind the cliffs to the west. The small winter-farms dotted across the mountain were harvesting the last of their produce, a healthy portion of which went to the Church of St. Pelnuss to help in the restoration effort and out of gratitude for its role in the crisis 20 years ago. Indeed, because of the events of that tim...

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“Corvid's Pocket” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #91

“What is this racket!” Remhann shouted and stormed down the aisle between the bookshelves. A library was a place for solemn study and reflection, not wanton shouting or crying. When the disturbance did not go quiet, Remhann shouted again. “Be quiet this instant!” He chided himself for disturbing the other visitors to the library, but he had his duties and they had to be carried out, for the sanctity of the library. So absorbed in his thoughts was Remhannn that he did not notice turning a corner that he had never before seen in the library. H...

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“Waiving the Late Fee” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #91

  “Excuse me, uhm, excuse me.” The man said and approached the caravan, arms raised in the air. The members of the caravan could see that his clothes were of good quality, but also well-worn. Care had been taken to ensure that they would last many years still. His dark hair was bushy, though he had no beard. A heavy bag rested over his shoulder. The more curious members of the caravan wondered what the bag contained, but a leather flap covered the contents completely.  “Hail and well met on the road.” The caravan leader said and st...

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“Apple Returns to the Tree” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #89

”Mr. Notka, why are you up here?” Thea Nootkamp closed the door to the stairway behind her. She needn’t have bothered; the wind rushing over the roof of the building would have done it for her.  The visitor glanced behind him. His suit flapped in the wind. “Ah, the aide. I just wanted to see the city. It has been such a long time since I was here last.” “I am sure that we could have arranged a tour, Mr. Notka.” Thea replied and stepped closer to the man, doing her best to keep the wind from taking her cap.  The man chuckled. “I app...

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“The Ivory Diversion” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #72

Boromin was sat quite at his desk with a pile of papers to look through and sign when he heard a commotion downstairs. The Ivory Court was a modern building in one of the towers between Dalan’s Refuge and Ocean View. A beautiful floor plan with a tiled-mosaic pattern was always visible from the balcony-like upper floor, where the employees could free from the oppressing sensation of the thousands and thousands of tonnes of stone magically suspended in the air around them. For those, like Boromin, who were relatively new to the city life, it ...

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“Fallen” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #70

Rill pressed down hard on the compress, hard enough for small pinpricks of blood to spring up where her claws were pressing on his skin. Those small pricks were nothing compared to how much was staining the stretcher the man had come in on. He was in a bad way. “I’m sorry, Rill,” He mumbled, his voice nearly intelligible from pain and weakness, “Rellen thought she had found an untouched house up north.” “Ssh, don’t speak, Lorr, save your strength.” Rill said and looked to the young girl across the room.  “Lilo, I need more cloth, hurry....

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“Collage 2” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #64

It’s been a couple months since I moved into this house. I don’t own it, there’s a portly landlord. I met her when I moved in and she handed me the keys and the documentation for my new place. Didn’t think much of her at first. Not to be mean, but she’s the kind of person who’s hard to remember once you’re not looking at her. Not ugly, just plain looking. Handed me the keys and said that if I ever lost them or something like that, she had a spare set in her house. So, I settled in and moved all my stuff in and such. Initially it was great; ...

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“A Hope for the Future” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #62

Hello. I wish I had something better to write, a more quirky, funny opening line, but even if I had one, it would feel out of place. Sorry, would perhaps be a better opening line. My name is Randall Haighes and I am your biological father. I am sure that Melina, your mother, will have told you of why your father was never there, but I wish to give here a more first-hand account of the reasons and my own story. The reasons are selfish, as they will always be for a coming father to travel into space for a voyage that he knows will take nearly ...

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“The Shadow of Earth” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #59

Note: The characters and events depicted here are wholly fictional, and any relations to real people or events are purely coincidental. The presentation of the towns herein is simply for geographical reference and are in no way, shape or form indications of the reality of those townships or residents. I, Heinz Reinkranz, write this letter on the 16th of March in this year of 1902 to explain myself to those that doubt me. In recent weeks I have been called many things, of varying degrees of veracity, and I wish to put to bed as many of th...

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“Stuck” by Mathias Nobel Hadberg

Submitted to Contest #58

Charles Reed strides into the lobby of his workplace. The receptionist waves at him and he returns the gesture, albeit without pausing in his pace. He has a long day ahead of him and a lot of work. Time spent talking could be better spent writing the next contract draft. “Yes Jimmy,” Charles says into the Bluetooth earpiece attached to his ear, “I’ll write the Bennysons contract draft today, you’ll have it on your desk by tomorrow morning.” “You sure, Reed? The first meeting isn’t for another two days.” Jimmy replies. Reed can hear Jimmy’s ...

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