A woman is coping with grief, or rather not coping so well with it. But some strong lessons come from an unlikely source.

Caroline Taylor is an award-winning novelist and short-story writer who grew up in the mountain west and traveled widely, including a brief stint in the Foreign Service. A former editor of Humanities magazine, she is the author of nine mysteries, one short-story collection, and a nonfiction book. All of them are available on her website at www.carolinestories.com. Two of her novels won the Firebird Book award, and a third was a finalist for the Freddie Award. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Visit her at https://facebook.com./CarolineTaylorAuthor/.

You can read "Benches" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Contact me through the website contact form.

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The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

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Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

The island nunnery is a safe space. But is it safe for everyone? And who pays the price for that safety?

Nathan Perrin is an Anabaptist pastor in Chicagoland. He holds an MA in Quaker Studies, and is a doctoral student studying Christian Community Development at Northern Seminary. His doctorate work centers on creating a writing program for nonprofits and churches to use to help under-resourced communities process trauma. He is the author of the forthcoming novella Memories of Green Rivers, which will be released by Running Wild Press in 2025. His work has been published in the Dillydoun Review, Bangalore Review, Collateral Journal, Esoterica Magazine, etc. He is also a screenwriter for an unannounced indie comedy series. For more information, visit www.nathanperrinwriter.com

You can read "The Nunnery" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Contact me through the website contact form.

Follow us on:
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The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

When a woman begins to vanish in society’s eyes, what can she do to be appreciated?

Raluca Balasa holds an MFA in Creative Writing: Fiction from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her short work has appeared in venues such as Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, Aurealis, and Grimdark Magazine, as well as on Apex Magazine’s blog. Raluca works as an English professor in the Toronto area. Her debut science fiction novel, Blood State, was released in 2020 from Renaissance Press. She can be found at https://ralucabalasa.wixsite.com/website 
Twitter: @rabalasa

You can read "Vanishing Act" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Contact me through the website contact form.

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Awesome photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash! 
Thank you Alexander, thank you Unsplash!

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

What would life be like if your loved one really did come back as a ghost to be with you? One man finds out.

Chad Gayle’s speculative fiction has appeared in and at StarShipSofa, Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, and Inner Worlds. In addition to teaching English in Texas and North Carolina, Chad has worked as a computer programmer, a graphic designer, and a freelance photographer. Proud father to two humans and three felines, he’s also an avid roller skater who can be found on fair weather days skating gleefully through the streets of New York, the city he calls home.
Learn more about Chad’s publications and photography at https://chadgayle.com/.


You can read "A Certain Kind of Love" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com
Contact me through the website contact form.

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Awesome photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash! 
Thank you Alexander, thank you Unsplash!

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
Instagram
Facebook
Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

A firefighter who falls head over heels in love with his baby daughter. Some would call it obsession. But in times of crisis, who will be the hero?

 JB Polk is Polish by birth, a citizen of the world by choice. Since 2020, more than 100 of her stories, flash fiction and non-fiction, have been accepted for publication. In 1996, her story short-listed for the Irish Independent/Hennessy Awards, Ireland, and she recently won the  International Human Rights  Arts Movement literary contest. 

You can read "Sweet Magnolia" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.


Website: kaidankaistories.com

Follow us on:
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The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
Instagram
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

A sweet little boy takes after his grandfather. How is anything but sweet.

Tim Law has loved to write from a very young age, but has only recently discovered the joy of being published. He is happily married to a wonderful girl, a proud father of three humans, and a reluctant father figure to four cats. He writes fantasy, science fiction, general, detective, humour, and a lot of weird stuff that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. He encourages everyone to give writing a go. Some of his stranger stories can be found here on the Kaidankai, but if you want to read more try his blog.

You can read "Grandpa's Boy" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.
Other stories by Tim Law on the Kaidankai Podcast:
Possession
The Darkness Beyond the Farm Back Gate
My Friend Shane


Website: kaidankaistories.com

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The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
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Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

How far will one woman go to get more followers on social media?

Harold Hoss is a film producer best known for "The Unheard" and "Creep Box." When he isn't reading, writing, or watching horror movies he enjoys hiking with his dog Margot. Twitter: https://twitter.com/HorrorHoss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hblakehoss/
Website with link to a short film on Alter: https://haroldhosshorror.wordpress.com/

You can read "Follow Me" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com

Follow us on:
Twitter/X
Instagram
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The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
Instagram
Facebook
Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

Today's story is a perfect example of how ghost stories reveal our humanity. There's obsession and revenge, love and generosity, fear and forgiveness.

Linda Gould is the host of the Kaidankai podcast. She lived in Japan for 26 years and was inspired by the culture, people, and folklore to write ghost stories with Japan as a backdrop.

You can read "It's Your Turn" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com

Follow us on:
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The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
Instagram
Facebook
Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

Today's story is a perfect example of how ghost stories reveal our humanity. There's obsession and revenge, love and generosity, fear and forgiveness.

Denise Longrie’s work has appeared in Spank the Carp, Bright Flash Literary Review, and Danse Macabre. She has self-published a nonfiction guide to pre-1900 speculative fiction. She is (…still) working by the flickering light of a Jacob’s ladder on a sequel treating twentieth-century pulp science fiction. In a previous life, she worked as a pharmacy technician.

You can read "The Ironworker" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com

Follow us on:
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The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
Instagram
Facebook
Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].

A woman journeys through a forest. Is it a dream? What is she looking for? And why is it all so familiar?

 Linda Sparks has been published in multiple anthologies and podcasts including  Kaidankai, Ravens Quoth Press, Lothlorien, Spillwords, Sweetycat Press, (she was awarded the Emerald Prize for her poem "Dancing Girl"), and she loves writing dark, Poe poetry and short stories. She has 28 published books as she writes Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction and mystery. She served as Editor for Valkyrie Magazine as well. She lives with her family in Florida.


You can read "The House in the Woods" at https://www.kaidankaistories.com.

Website: kaidankaistories.com

Other stories by Linda Sparks on The Kaidankai
Cemetery Squad
The Mark of the Cat
Silence
The Death Drums
Jessi


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Photo by James Fitzgerald on Unsplash

The Kaidankai Podcast features original short fiction exploring horror, fantasy, science fiction, and the strange.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Subscribe on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read the stories at kaidankaistories.com

Follow the show:
Instagram
Facebook
Bluesky

Have a story you'd like us to read? Send submissions to [email protected].