Severed Ties

Frankie is a teenager living in the country. She practices witchcraft and has a dream that something terrible is about to happen to her childhood friend Candice. The friendship involves a third in their circle, Sandra. And it is to Sandra that Frankie turns. With Frankie's ordinary face cards and Sandra's tarot cards, the girls seek the advice of their Spirit Guides.  Leaving the country, they follow that guidance to the rough underbelly of the city where drugs and immorality are a daily occurrence, all to rescue Candice.

Ms. Skelhorn's writing style is clean and knowledgeable, taking the reader into a world of Tarot cards, stripper bars and Spirit Guides.  Frankie and Sandra are teens firmly entrenched in their gothic style, yet each is unique. Frankie's character is well explored, but  the secondary characters feel as though they are simply sketchy stick figures to support and validate Frankie, her choices and actions. The plot seems unbelievable for country teens to take on the dangers of crack heads, pimps and drug pushers unscathed. Chants, protective circles and manner of dress are described in detail, using considerable space in this short story but it is an enlightening read for any reader interested in such things.

Erin Murdock