Assorted Fantasies

This collection includes all of Joel Puga's previously published historical and contemporary fantasy short stories. Bizarre creatures, evil spirits, fantastic ruins and spooky graveyards are just some of the things you will find within these pages. The stories included are:

The Last – Terrorized by the thought of death, a man lets himself be contaminated by vampirism to prolong his life indefinitely. However, when Hell and Heaven’s legions face each other in the ultimate battle, he becomes the last human being on Earth. Will he let himself be dragged peacefully into one of the afterlife kingdoms?

Sasabonsam – During the War of Guinea, a group of Guinean guerrilla fighters bring down a Portuguese airplane. When investigating the wreck, they discover not only that the pilot survived, but also that he isn't human. Intellectual, one of the guerrilla fighters, is forced to face the monster, as well as the tribalism that infects the minds of his comrades. The Castle – Thomas gets a last minute invitation from his cousin Michael to Christmas dinner. But Michael's motives are darker than Thomas could have ever imagined. Susan – After a short and awful life, Susan faces death. Recalling her days on earth, she tries to deduce to which of the postmortem kingdoms she will be sent. However, her final destination reveals itself as surprising in more than one way. A Literary Quest – In his search for rare books, Cirio finds the elusive bookstore of Mormont, the location of which changes constantly, but is said to contain some volumes almost impossible to find. However, even after everything he went through to get there, will Cirio's quest be completed?

The Saga of Me, Divine Justice – Heaven, Purgatory and Hell, the three realms of the afterlife. Agents from each side try to manipulate Man, making it do things it wouldn't normally do, to influence its final destination. All to get more souls and gain an advantage in the Eternal War. I can't accept it. It isn't fair for the place of eternal rest (or torment) of a person to be determined by what a third party led it to do. And I fight to prevent it.

A God In Humaitá – During the Passage of Humaitá, one of the most important moments of the Paraguayan War, the intervention of a Guarani god changes the course of history. However, for two soldiers on opposite sides, it's a catastrophic event.

Wendigo – After Spain agrees to an alliance with Nazi Germany, Portugal is forced to do the same so as to avoid annexation. As a result, Portuguese soldiers at Lajes, in the Azores, come under attack from an American force that wants to occupy that strategic point. Frustrated by the stubborn resistance of the defenders, the Americans turn to a very unconventional weapon.

The Curse of the Arched Bridge – Something around the Arched Bridge is drowning the children of the village of Perre. Suspecting a supernatural cause, the population turns to the Church for help. However, seeing the powerlessness of their priest, three men decide to solve the problem themselves. What they'll have to do to protect their children will haunt them for the rest of their lives.