GREENFIRE
Cover Art by Angela Patera
Angela Patera is a published artist, writer, poet, and photographer. Her short stories, poems, and photographs have appeared in publications such as Livina Press, Bitterleaf Books, Haunted Words Press, and elsewhere. Her art has appeared in numerous publications, as well as on the cover of Small Wonders Magazine, Indie Bites Magazine, The Ophelia Gazette, and a few more. When Angela isn’t creating she likes to mainly spend time in the woods, cemeteries, and museums. You can find her on Instagram @angela_art13 and Bluesky @angela-art13
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Still, I wanderfrom private gardens to hidden forestsin search of undiscovered vegetation. On an overcast"},{"id":1260,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/04\/05\/absolved-on-vellum\/","name":"absolved-on-vellum","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"ABSOLVED ON VELLUM","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"E.L. McKee","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/elmckee\/"},"date":"Apr 5, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-04-05 17:23:40","modifiedDate":"2026-04-06 09:36:03","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-04-06 14:36:03","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/onlineexclusives\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Online Exclusives<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/onlineexclusives\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Online Exclusives<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":4,"sec":5},"status":"publish","content":"The way the Traveller tells it, he was making his way across the border with his companion when he first saw it: the creature emerging from a forest clearing.\u00a0 \u201cIt"},{"id":1483,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/04\/26\/mucus-coated-taxidermy\/","name":"mucus-coated-taxidermy","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"MUCUS-COATED TAXIDERMY","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"D.S. Burton","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/dsburton\/"},"date":"Apr 26, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-04-26 13:19:36","modifiedDate":"2026-04-26 08:19:37","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-04-26 13:19:37","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/onlineexclusives\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Online Exclusives<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/onlineexclusives\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Online Exclusives<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":6,"sec":14},"status":"publish","content":"Contemporary Cryptozoology and Other Phenomena, by Jodie Norman(Kept in shorthand) Entry 1, 14 May 2025, Cephalo Pond: Arrived at the pond a few minutes behind schedule. The trees on the"},{"id":1000,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/15\/interloper-or-a-doomed-dreamworld\/","name":"interloper-or-a-doomed-dreamworld","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"INTERLOPER, OR A DOOMED DREAMWORLD","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Angus Stewart","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/angusstewart\/"},"date":"Mar 15, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-15 12:53:39","modifiedDate":"2026-03-15 08:16:03","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-03-15 13:16:03","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":13,"sec":15},"status":"publish","content":"being inside your mind is the best thing I have ever experienced Fairy lights and glowing snowmen mark the waypoints up Guywood Lane, then right on Marsden Road past a"},{"id":1057,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/15\/lesser-evils\/","name":"lesser-evils","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"LESSER EVILS","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Mario Senzale","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/mariosenzale\/"},"date":"Mar 15, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-15 13:03:30","modifiedDate":"2026-03-15 08:03:32","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-03-15 13:03:32","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":10},"status":"publish","content":"Grischa hacked the fence post with her sickle until it splintered with a sharp crack. The gate was open, but she wanted the wood to know who was in charge."},{"id":1139,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/22\/secret-language-a-golden-shovel\/","name":"secret-language-a-golden-shovel","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Waxcap-mushroom-in-frost.jpg?fit=2926%2C2195&ssl=1","alt":""},"title":"SECRET LANGUAGE: A GOLDEN SHOVEL","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Nancy Byrne Iannucci","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/nancybyrneiannucci\/"},"date":"Mar 22, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-22 14:05:19","modifiedDate":"2026-05-08 13:21:31","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-05-08 18:21:31","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":1},"status":"publish","content":"The mushroom is the elf of plants Emily Dickinson, The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants O, how I want to be them, wearing the frost like a fascinator, two"},{"id":786,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/08\/moons-ago-in-elfriche\/","name":"moons-ago-in-elfriche","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"MOONS AGO IN ELFRICHE","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"LindaAnn LoSchiavo","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/lindaannloschiavo\/"},"date":"Mar 8, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-08 17:26:09","modifiedDate":"2026-03-10 11:53:54","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-03-10 16:53:54","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":29},"status":"publish","content":"A silent, self-contained wee fay she wasUntil he trespassed, and surveyed the green,Deciding where to pitch his patched up tent. Was he aware of being tailed, surveilled? She hid among"},{"id":731,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/08\/a-giant-lies-on-a-long-stretch-of-grass-in-a-prarie-meadow\/","name":"a-giant-lies-on-a-long-stretch-of-grass-in-a-prarie-meadow","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"A GIANT LIES ON A LONG STRETCH OF GRASS IN A PRAIRIE MEADOW","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Ron Riekki","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/ronriekki\/"},"date":"Mar 8, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-08 17:24:25","modifiedDate":"2026-03-10 11:53:27","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-03-10 16:53:27","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":5,"sec":36},"status":"publish","content":"Another giant approaches, kneeling down beside him. \u201cYou can\u2019t lie about all day.\u201d \u201cI can. I have the talent to do it. And the dedication.\u201d \u201cBut you shouldn\u2019t.\u201d \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t"},{"id":1416,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/04\/11\/wind-flower\/","name":"wind-flower","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"WIND FLOWER","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Beulah Vega","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/beulahvega\/"},"date":"Apr 11, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-04-11 14:17:25","modifiedDate":"2026-04-11 09:17:26","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-04-11 14:17:26","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/onlineexclusives\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Online Exclusives<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/onlineexclusives\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Online Exclusives<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":46},"status":"publish","content":"The Sylphs Lament I\u2019ve buried you beneath the yarrowWarding off the fever of my griefDown the manzanita path,My tears mix into redwood mudFlowing past lady ferns andSpanish Lotus Blue witch"},{"id":1121,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/22\/hand-in-hand-among-ruins\/","name":"hand-in-hand-among-ruins","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"HAND IN HAND AMONG RUINS","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"K.A. Roy","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/karoy\/"},"date":"Mar 22, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-22 14:02:06","modifiedDate":"2026-03-22 09:02:08","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-03-22 14:02:08","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/fiction\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Fiction<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/short-stories\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Short Stories<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":17,"sec":36},"status":"publish","content":"CW: violence\/gore The sun had nearly dipped below the horizon and the remaining rays glinted off rows of vegetables, imbuing everything with an orange hue as Emilia hurried past. Her"},{"id":1069,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/15\/summon\/","name":"summon","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"SUMMON","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Dee Allen","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/deeallen\/"},"date":"Mar 15, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-15 12:55:28","modifiedDate":"2026-03-15 07:55:30","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-03-15 12:55:30","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":5},"status":"publish","content":"Look for her mark in the forest. Inverted triangle.Circle.DownwardProngs in centre,With the second being the longest. Fused together,They become a markCarved deep intoOne of manyTrees in the forest. Thick mistsOf"},{"id":1169,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/29\/a-secret-world\/","name":"a-secret-world","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"A SECRET WORLD","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Sarah Das Gupta","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/sarahdasgupta\/"},"date":"Mar 29, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-29 15:58:20","modifiedDate":"2026-03-29 11:50:21","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-03-29 16:50:21","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":8},"status":"publish","content":"The canopy is thick, impenetrable, no sky no light breaks through the green gloom. A black bird perched still, unmoving on the shadowy pine may be carved into the frozen"},{"id":1157,"link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/2026\/03\/29\/a-dream-of-an-ice-goddess\/","name":"a-dream-of-an-ice-goddess","thumbnail":{"url":false,"alt":false},"title":"A DREAM OF AN ICE GODDESS","postMeta":[],"author":{"name":"Hunter Thomas","link":"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/author\/hunterthomas\/"},"date":"Mar 29, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-03-29 15:35:24","modifiedDate":"2026-05-26 14:33:22","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-05-26 19:33:22","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/gnomeandbonemagazine.com\/category\/poetry\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Poetry<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":2,"sec":18},"status":"publish","content":"I. The cold sting of winter had fall\u2019n upon Verdant meadows then turned to white snowfields, As streams were stilled by the freezing of ice And the woodlands became still"}]
The gnomes paused their foraging when they found this one. “Look,” one whispered, moss in his beard, “a soul that listens to the forest the way that we do.”
Susan L. Pollet is a visual artist whose works have appeared in multiple art shows and literary publications. She studied at the New York Art Students League, has been a member since 2018, and resides in NYC. She is also a published author in multiple genres, including three children’s books, which she both wrote and illustrated. She has seen the darker sides of humanity, but always searches for the light. Find more of her work at susanpollet.com
The gnomes weren’t expecting the lampshade to wake. “Strange,” one said, squinting into the blue glow, “I’ve seen mushrooms come to life, but never a lampshade.”
The gnomes tilted their head at this one. “She paints like the forest in autumn,” one murmured, “Bold.” Into the basket it went.
Nasta Martyn is an artist, graphic artist, illustrator, poet, and writer. She graduated from the Academy of Slavic Cultures and has a bachelor’s degree in design. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in art history. In 2005, she created a series of graphics dedicated to the Chernobyl disaster, and in the same year, she wrote the series “The Red Book.” In 2022, she participated in international exhibitions in China, Taiwan, and the United States. In 2024, she received the Jury’s Special Prize for her poster in China.
The forest grew very quiet when she arrived. Even the gnomes, who rarely notice such things, felt the cold she carried with her.