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To Attract Men
Uta, a visitor on the island of Fenitere, was tired of men calling out to her
in a cacophony of languages. As they followed her through narrow streets, Uta
lost her temper. In a fury, she threw down her amulet to attract men. Turning
to the man stepping on her heels, she screamed, “Get away from
me!” Uta knew she had gone too far when she saw the hatred in his eyes
and the flashing blade in his hand, reflecting the sun’s fierce rays.
She saw nothing but white light until a stranger interceded on her behalf.
Her would-be attacker, pinned against a parked car, writhed and hurled his
hatred in sounds, sharp enough to slice the air. Heart racing, she ran until
she heard nothing but silence.
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Copyright © 2011, by Roberta Allen
All rights reserved
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To Gain Control
Rebels on the island of Muug staged a coup and replaced their oppressor with a
simple man they trusted. But when their new leader found the amulet, he
forbade the very freedoms they had expected him to reinstate. Worse, he armed
his followers with axes to enforce his will. When the bravest rebel stole the
amulet, his compatriots, sure of victory, killed the new leader who had
betrayed them. In their excitement, the rebels unanimously chose the brave
one to lead them, blind to the risks a man hungry for power might take.
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Copyright © 2011, by Roberta Allen
All rights reserved
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To Stop Self-Deception
Samantha had nightmares for weeks about vampires. She had seen a so-called
vampire on the island of Isan’s favorite reality show. Vampires
aren’t real, she kept telling herself. No one I know has ever
seen a vampire. As she walked along the dark streets, she could not admit
that her incisors were as long and pointed as those of canines. Even with the
taste of her lover’s blood still in her mouth, she could not admit she
had appeared on TV. She was so set on deceiving herself that she didn’t
notice the stranger sneaking up beside her, slipping the amulet into her
pocket, before slinking off into the night.
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Copyright © 2011, by Roberta Allen
All rights reserved
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is the author of eight books, including two short-short collections; a
novella-in-shorts; a novel, The Dreaming Girl (republished in 2011 by
Ellipsis Press); and Fast Fiction, the first guide to writing short shorts.
A visual artist as well, Ms. Allen has exhibited worldwide, with work in the collection
of The Metropolitan Museum.
Her solo world travels have inspired much of her writing, and she also runs private
writing workshops. Details may be found at her website,
www.robertaallen.com.
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Roberta Allen Slideshow: Amulets in The Center for Fiction’s magazine, The
Literarian (Issue 9): Love, Melancholy, Accident, Prosperity, and Courage
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Five Amulet Stories in Moonshot (Issue 5, 25 September 2013): To Ward Off
Poverty, To Ward Off Regret, To Ward Off Confusion, To Ward Off Worry, and To Ward Off
Aggression
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2012: Secret Worlds I–IV, natural objects “cast out by the sea”
(This link redirects to artist’s home page; once there, simply click on
“Photography” link at far right, beneath “amulet” image.)
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Thinking About Thought, conceptual art
(This link redirects to artist’s home page; once there, simply click on
“Photography” link at far right, beneath “amulet” image.
Then, click on “2014” at top right corner of page.)
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Roberta Allen Interviewed by Derek Alger in Pif Magazine (1 January 2012)
