We continue on this week with part five of Algernon Blackwood's The Wendigo, where Simpson meets up with Hank and Dr. Cathcart. The two hunters struggle with Simpson’s story…trying to argue it away with logic and emotion. The mirror of reality has been shattered. And when it shatters, the mind, body and emotions struggle to put it back together again… but we all know what happened in the story of Humpty Dumpty. Music: Cello in a Dream by...

Simpson performs an investigation to find clues to where the guide disappeared. He makes a startling revelation when he finds not one but two sets of footprints in the snow. One set is 18 feet long, the other set obviously human...eventually the human prints disappear leaving only the monstrous prints behind. Join Dark Softly Tales in Part Four of The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood. Music: Cello in a Dream by Liron www.darksoftlytalespodcast.com www.darksoftlytales.com

Huddled in the tiny tent amongst the smothering trees, there are not two shadows, but three...two of human form and one very distinctly not human. Join Dark Softly Tales in Part Three of The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood. Music: Cello in a Dream by Liron www.darksoftlytalespodcast.com www.darksoftlytales.com

Hunter and guide set out by themselves deep into the heart of the vast unknown. The beauty is unfathomable, yet impersonal. Still, late into the evening, the guide catches the scent of something that has definitely taken notice...and it shakes him to his very core. This week is part two of The Wendigo by Alergnon Blackwood. Music: Cello in a Dream by Liron www.darksoftlytalespodcast.com www.darksoftlytales.com

In the the wilds of Canada, an ancient evil taunts a group of hunters, creating such madness that is sure to send goose bumps down your spine and cause you to double think going out into the woods alone... For the next few weeks, we will be reading The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood. Music: Cello in a Dream by Liron www.darksoftlytalespodcast.com www.darksoftlytales.com

Last week of our improv, short episodes with dark poetry by Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe. Next week we return to our regular program with The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood. Poems in Order: Silence is All We Dread - Emily Dickinson We Grow Accustomed to the Dark - Emily Dickinson We Do Not Play on Graves - Emily Dickinson Silence by Edgar Allan Poe Music: Dark Street by Dream Protocol

This week is a lovely poem called Rise Up by Rumi. His wise words bear to witness that there is always a light within the dark. A reminder that Dark Softly Tales is creating shorter, unscripted, episodes for a few weeks. We'll be back to regular schedule at the end of April. ;-) Music by Chillmore

This week we ponder the wonderful words of Kahlil Gibran in his poem "Do Not Love Half Lovers." The next few weeks will be slightly shorter episodes as I'm helping my son with his move to Montana. Towards the end of April we will back with our regular program! Music: Soft Ambient by Alex MakeMusic

Tonight’s poem called Violet Visions, is inspired by a passage I wrote in one of my books called Wanted Single Rose, and also by world events. It’s kind of a mashup of things. Find the illustrated storybook creation of the poem on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/vrhCabz9SJ8 (https://youtu.be/vrhCabz9SJ8) www.darksoftlytalespodcast.com www.darksoftlytales.com

Death makes quite the entrance at Lady Neville's ball. To everyone's surprise, Death is young, beautiful and charming. So charming in fact, that Lady Neville and her guests request Death remain with them, which Death accepts... on one condition. This week's story is part two of Come Lady Death by Peter S Beagle. Music: Waiting for the Sun by Luca Fraula

Lady Neville has thrown the most wonderful parities that even the king himself has attended. Now in her old age, she wants to throw the grandest party of all…but she can’t think of who could be grander than all the nobles she has already invited in the past, and finally it comes to her…she will invite Death himself…er…herself. This week's story is part one of Come Lady Death by Peter S Beagle. Music: Waiting for the Sun by Luca Fraula

A woodland fairy decides to enter the body of a young woman to discover what it feels like to be in love. Through the ups and downs of this experience, she considers giving up her magic to become human. This story is none other than Ray Bradbury's The April Witch. First published in 1952 by The Saturday Evening Post Music: Facile by Kevin MacLeod

In light of current events, I decided to pause the regular programing this week and make an impromptu episode discussing courage and freedom. I recorded this on Friday, Feb 25th. The two clips of speech is Winston Churchhill's address to Harrow School in 1941 Music: 528 Hz Morning Meditation

A blind woman meets a mysterious man in the forest who is very coy about who he is. She bargains a potion from an old gypsy so she can finally see her lover. She does see her lover, but pays the ultimate price... This story has appeared in a few publications including Howl: Tales of the Feral and Infernal, Best of Lame Goat Press Anthology, Cast Macabre where it was originally narrated by the wonderful Barry Northern and, finally, in my short but sweet Tales to Chill Your Bones anthology,...

The soul and the Fisherman lead us to a surprising conclusion and give us yet another piece of the human spirit to ponder on. This isn't the Valentine's episode I was planning on, but perhaps it's the one we need... Part Four of The Fisherman and His Soul by Oscar Wilde. Music: Music: Deep Woods by Lilo Sound

The Fisherman's soul continues its journey to a wealthy city's wondrous bazaar and meets the rich young emperor. The soul makes demands that is too great and the young emperor meets an uncertain fate. Join Dark Softly Tales as we continue this week with part three of The Fisherman and HIs Soul by Oscar Wilde. Music: Deep Woods by Lilo Sound

This week our story takes a turn as the fisherman's heartless soul takes a journey through many marvelous lands. It enters the temple of a priest and demands to see God or else... Join Dark Softly Tales in Part Two of The Fisherman and His Soul. Music: Deep Woods by Lilo Sound

A fisherman hoping to score a few fish in his nets, catches a beautiful mermaid instead. In order to marry her, he must get rid of his soul. By asking how to get rid of his soul, many other questions arise: why does a soul matter if you can't see it or touch or if you do not know it? The fisherman goes on a quest and meets a priest, a witch and even the devil himself... Oscar Wilde takes on quite the adventure in The Fisherman and His Soul. This is the first in four part series. Music: Lost...

Hey Everyone! So I.... accidentally deleted this week's episode and couldn't retrieve the file. That means no story this week! Dark Softly Tales is growing which is a good thing, but also means growing pains...this week is definitely a growing pain. Thank you for your patience and we will be back next week!

A frosty maid taunts a warrior after a long fought battle. He chases her to where her ice giant brothers are waiting... yes, this is a Conan the Barbarian story called The Frost Giant's Daughter by Robert E Howard. Music: Lost Place Atmospheres #1 by Sascha Ende

There is no doubt that Nature is a seductress, luring souls through our senses and instincts. Blackwood takes this a step further, giving Nature a haunting and irresistible human form through The Glamour of the Snow. This will easily be one of the most beautiful and terrifying stories you’ve ever heard. This episode will be the longest to date as this story was too beautiful to break up into parts, and I wanted to have a two week break for the holidays. I will be back on January 10th,...

We’ve reached the end, though Lovecraft implies this is only the beginning…Beware of the strange days, my friends, for what might seem to be bright and colorful can be a gray death in disguise. Join Dark Softly Tales in the conclusion of The Color out of Space. Music:

Hey everyone! When I went to upload this week's episode, the files were somehow corrupted. We will be back next with the finale of The Color out of Space. Hope everyone is doing well!

The town finally investigates the deaths and disappearances at the Gardner farm. After Ammi tells his suspicion of the well, the men insist in drawing up the water, but what they find is…unmentionable and otherworldly. Yes, this is a Lovecraft story. Explore your chromatic colors with Dark Softly Tales in part three of The Color out of Space. Music: Outer Space Journey by AG Music

Madness, silence, multi-chrome butterflies…all is not well on Nahum’s farm and the whole town knows it. Unwholesome colors have sprung upon the property where the meteorite hit. Come take a walk with Dark Softly Tales in part two of HP Lovecraft’s The Color out of Space. Music: Outer Space Journey by AG Music