A hollowness that can only be filled when you tilt back your head and your eyes scoop up stars like ice cream sprinkles.

You have to drive beyond the pixilated haze of streetlamps and the neon glare of Burger King signs to lose yourself in the sable shadows, the true night our forefathers knew.

On your back on the Cherokee's hood you can get drunk on the Milky Way.

Just like the branches of scrub oak you raise your hands, but there's nothing to hold onto. You wonder that the bats, the creeping vines, the dirt track, your friends, and the state don't topple into ether like a sidetable laden with a too-heavy platter.

Deneb. Cygnus. Rigel.

Names of exotic lovers who promise joy no flesh and bone can provide.

Who would not pull forward past the point the SUV can be reversed up the embankment?

The engine dies, of course, but the battery keeps the headlights burning. To the crane operator, it seems two stars have fallen into murky water, illuminating bladderwort and tadpoles.

About Scott H. Urban.

Scott H. Urban is a freelance writer and poet living, appropriately enough, in North Carolina's Cape Fear region. His dark verse appeared in the collections Night's Voice and Skull-Job (Horror's Head Press); his most recent chapbook, Alight, from Shakin' Outta My Heart Press, appeared this summer. In collaboration with Bruce Whealton, Scott's vampire poems appear in the e-book Puncture Wounds (Word Salad Productions).

His fiction has appeared in print magazines, horror anthologies, and online zines, including, most recently, Lost Worlds of s.p.a.ce and Time Volume 2, and The Witching Hour. With Martin H. Greenberg, he co-edited the DAW anthology The Conspiracy Files. As editor, he recently compiled Jean Jones' poetry collection The Complete Angel of Death (Skull Job Productions) and memoirist Ryan Miller's Circle of the Heart, Voices of Comfort Dreams (Elephant Showcase Press).

Save the Depot.

April A. Taylor.

THE ARTISTS.

Techno Caro.

Thomas Bossert.

Thomas Bossert lives with his wife and two children in a little town in the Black Forest in Germany, at the border of France and Switzerland. He is a self-proclaimed audio-addict, listening to music and playing guitar. His favorite musicians are in the bands Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Yes, Genesis, and Rammstein.

Born in 1961, Thomas' great pa.s.sion is painting and drawing, especially in the surrealism style. When he first saw paintings by Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali or Paul Delvaux many years ago, it touched him and he was fascinated. Those feelings have not let him go until this day and certainly his artistic creating.

Most recently, Thomas is inspired by the works of H.R. Giger. He posts on the Deviant Art groups and is a member of The Collaborative Corpse and The Exquisite Corpse.

For Thomas, surrealism is about visions, about unconscious, around dreams, thoughts, symbols and perceptions. He can express himself by the surrealism without borders. His subconscious has the opportunity to express itself by itself, without him influencing it. Most important, the surrealism gives him artistic freedom.

His piece t.i.tled "Fragments" is a collaboration with Christian Edler, who is a surreal artist also from Germany. Christian Edler goes by the name 'reality-must-die' on Deviant Art.

A Woman's Face.

Ricardo Di Ceglia.

Formerly a graphic designer, Ricardo Di Ceglia worked many years as a web developer in Sao Paulo Brazil, the city in which he was born. Not happy with his career, he dropped everything and moved to London where for seven years he developed his artistic skills. He was shown in a few exhibitions and recently headed back to Sao Paulo to open his art studio, and now he posts his paintings on the web to be seen all over the world.

The Stare.

Kalynn Kallweit.

At only 26, Kalynn Kallweit's career in the arts has indeed been very diverse. From sewing corsets for the woman with the world's smallest waist, Cathy Jung, to making movie props, leather work, and costumes for such shows such as Masters of Horror, Reaper, and Aliens vs. Predators Requiem.

At a very young age, she was drawn to morbid stories and imagery. Instead of doing her math tests, she drew cemeteries and ghosts alongside her school work and made occult-themed activity books. Now the most likely creations in which she engages are creepy dolls, dark art sculptures, and macabre digital art.

Kalynn is inspired strongly by nature, horror, religious iconography, bones, fashion, and all things living or dead. When asking about her parents take on her devious bent, she says her mother is full of enthusiasm, and her father has said, "Once she saw the movie Beetlejuice...that was it!"

Kalynn plans to take her movie-honed mold making and sculpting skills further to the dark side in the company of her dark art dolls. On the horizon as well, is a new branch out into the fine art of tattoo, so keep your eyes peeled in the future for this girl's art on your best friend's sleeve. In true Kalynn Kallweit style, there are never enough outlets for this non-stop creative force!

23.

Daniel Kirk.

Daniel Kirk was born in 1984 in Cambridge, in Ontario, Canada. Now a student based in Toronto, he has been drawing for as long as he can remember. Viewing art as a means of self-reflection, he tends to dwell on the darker side of things. Deformities, mutation, decay, and surrealistic horror are his favorite subject matters. His main mediums are both traditional and digital. Recently, he has delved into the world of 3D and intends to incorporate all of his knowledge into future works.

Keeper of the Creature.

Joseph Patrick McFarlane.

Joseph Patrick McFarlane was born in 1949 in Toronto, Ontario Canada. While attending Central Technical Art College in Toronto, Ontario, he studied studio criteria and art history, plus field research, and then attended Emily Carr in Vancouver BC. Joseph has a degree in the fine arts and in Inter-media and Multimedia.

Joseph's artwork takes on personal views from everyday thoughts and ideas, as well as dreams that have signification meaning for him. He creates things he sees around him, inspirations from other art, and just overall life's experiences that are part of everyone's childhood and adult culture. Having engaged in subjects as diverse as what he has seen during his traveling days, including music of many kinds and architecture, his work reflects all of that with familiar visual signs, and he arranges them into new conceptually layered pieces.

Many mediums are always considered, but mostly pencil, crayon, and pen and ink, as well as water colors are used. In working in these mediums, Joseph has arrived to what shows the most from his thoughts when doing art. He is always considering using other mediums, such as acrylics and oils on large canvases, but at the moment, s.p.a.ce restricts that, though he intends to work out that problem very soon. In the meanwhile, Joseph enjoys the drawings he currently creates.

A Cold Wind.

Felicia Olin.

Born in 1977, artist Felicia Olin has lived in Springfield, Illinois, most of her life. She lives with her husband, Jim, and their two cats and one dog. She received her BFA in painting from Illinois State University. Felicia is a member of the Prairie Art Alliance and partic.i.p.ates in area shows.

Felicia describes her childhood as being raised by hippies. Her mother was a fiber artist and used organic materials like bone in her work. She was fascinated by her family's collection of bones and rocks. Her favorite book growing up was an old, worn copy of Brian Froud's 1977 Land of Froud, which combined natural settings with fantasy art. Her favorite childhood movies were Labyrinth, Legend, Neverending Story, and The Dark Crystal.

Felicia has attended a Montessori school, which was less about structure, and more about individual interest. She fit art and creative writing into any spare minute. Although there has never been a time she hasn't been creating, it's only been since 2008 that she felt like she could call herself a legitimate artist and started showing at Universities and branching out.

Felicia finds painting equivalent to entering a Zen-like state where she can connect to her subconscious and let it do the painting. She listens to music when she works and lets the energy of it translate into her paintings. She listens to a band that best represents the feeling she wants out of the piece. She finds her work varies quite a bit, but people who follow her can look at a wall of paintings and pick hers out.

Calm Tatomir Pitariu Tatomir Pitariu is a "dark artist" born and raised in Sibiu, a historic city in the south part of Transylvania, Romania.

Though he grew up in the midst of it, Tatomir was, and continues to be, fascinated by the mythic and mysterious folklore of his homeland. The dark forests, mountain streams, fantastic creatures and hiking through nature along ancient ruins set the base for most of his artwork.

In 1995 Tatomir moved to Los Angeles with his family. Since then, his art has become a combination of childhood memories and the everyday life in the land of "Hollywood Dreams." Tatomir's original style of graphite drawing became, over the years, art embraced by the black, trash and pagan metal scene. Many bands commissioned Tatomir's work for logos and CD art. His artwork has also been integrated into many L.A. art-scene shows and charity events.

At one of The Congregation Gallery events, he met Christopher Ulrich, who convinced him it is time to move to the next level. The decision to start painting was radical for Tatomir since he never felt compelled to explore this medium, feeling his strength laid in his drawings and in his photography.

In 2008, his first exhibited painting, "St. Sylvan" was shown at the Forgotten Saints group show at The Congregation Gallery in Hollywood and received great feedback from both peers and patrons. Since then, Tatomir partic.i.p.ates in most group shows at this venue and has several pieces in the gallery's permanent collection.

Showered with Love Elizabeth Pra.s.se Elizabeth Pra.s.se resides in Orange County, California where she explores every dark corner of her soul; trapped inside a body formed of dust, seeking to evolve and unlock mysteries of who she is and may become, both as an artist and a living being.

Elizabeth has been printed in The Harmless book project and her artwork has been featured in and on the cover of Chiamata alle Arti Italian art-zine. She is part of an international art trading community and has worked on artist collaboration projects and private commission work.

Using the pen name Jelefi, she engages in artistic expression. Her camera is always in tow. She has written poetry, but it is through painting that she loses herself; wandering in labyrinths of emotional discovery, painting paths thick with hope and pain. When her words fail and Elizabeth retreats, Jelefi emerges to release the pa.s.sion she feels, becoming the drafty window to her soul.

Shards of Light April A. Taylor April A. Taylor is a Dark Art and Fine Art photographer from Detroit, Michigan. Some of her earliest childhood memories involve Michael Jackson's Thriller video, the original Nightmare on Elm Street movies and reading Clive Barker's Books of Blood series, all of which she credits with introducing her at a young age to her first love: horror.

After two decades of dabbling in photography (which is her second love), she made the decision in 2007 to focus seriously on developing (no pun intended) her photography career and spent the next two years refining her craft through Fine Art and customized photo-shoots. Her Fine Art work always leaned toward the dark and macabre, shedding light on some of the most beautifully twisted and abandoned places throughout the US.

In 2009 she designed her first Ill.u.s.trative Dark Art Photography shoot (The Post-Apocalyptic Princess) and was instantly taken with the idea of capturing the darkness of the world through vividly horrific scenes.

Only one year later, several of her Dark Art pieces have been published and exhibited internationally, she was named the first ever Artist of the Month by Detroit area radio station 93.9 FM, and she's been signed as an artist guest at conventions around the United States. Her work has received rave reviews from the horror industry, including the following from Lisa Wilc.o.x (the actress who played Alice in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 and 5) who said, "April's work captures the seduction of horror."

Her recent publication credits include Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, Darkfaery Subculture Magazine, WU Magazine and Chupacabra Magazine. April's work is slated to appear in six more books and magazines in two different countries.

THE EDITOR'S CORNER.

HORRORSCOPE.

by Jeani Rector The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is read my horoscope.

I do that even before I have a cup of coffee.

I read it in the newspaper. It's not my newspaper; it really belongs to my mother. In fact, everything in this house belongs to my mother. I live with her.

Yes, I know; I'm a forty-two-year-old man, and I live with my mother. Some people think that's weird, but my mother needs me. Well, I sort of need her too, but I think she needs me more.

But anyway, I read my horoscope. I'm a Leo, and I'm really proud of my sign. I mean, it's symbolized by a lion, so it's royal and all that. King of the jungle. Plus I was born in summer, and everyone knows that summer is the best time of year.

A couple of years ago, I started reading books about astrology, and I learned how great the Leo sign really is. What I learned in those astrology books is that Leo is a special sign, so at that point, I started realizing that I'm special, too.

Soon I found out that reading about my birth sign was only the beginning for my understanding about my full potential. Yes, I am very special; I stand apart.

It isn't always easy to stand apart. Being better than other people has a price, and sometimes I don't exactly fit in. People think I'm weird. Oh, they don't always tell me to my face that I'm weird, but I know they think it by the way they look at me.

That's okay. I'm aware that other people simply don't understand me. How can anyone understand something as unique as me? People are used to the norm, the commonplace...the average things in life. Average people are used to other average people. Anything that stands apart is considered weird, but weird just means different. And different means special.

So, I don't hold rudeness against anyone. I am mature enough to overlook it and to forgive average people for their inferiority.

Well, at least, most of the time I can overlook things...well, okay, maybe not all of the time. Even I will admit that sometimes I get upset at certain people. Like, I hate it when people don't appreciate my efforts to make them happy.

Sometimes I lose control when I am not appreciated.

Anyway, we're talking about my horoscope-let's get back to that. I told you I read it first thing every morning. It's important to me and I won't start my day without it, because it's all written in the stars, man. We don't have control of our lives, that's for the stars, but it's okay, because the stars give excellent advice. Horoscopes give guidance as to how we should go about our days. Without horoscopes, people would be lost and just flounder. Without horoscopes, n.o.body would get anything done. So everybody needs horoscopes, it's just that most people don't know how to read them correctly.

You see my point, right?

Of course you do.

The problem with my life is that I've always been underappreciated. I haven't been able to stay on one job very long because my bosses always hold me back. I mean, I'm certainly not going to start any job as a janitor. Half the time I know more about the job than the d.a.m.n supervisor. But do I get any credit?

And anyway, I can't go out of the house on days when my horoscope tells me I'm about to have a bad day. You see the sense in that. And all of those jobs only give a guy a limited number of sick days. None of it's been my fault.

But you want to know about the women.

Where do you want me to start? Oh, at the beginning. You want me to start where I think was the beginning.

Guess that means the hooker. I don't know the hooker's name. Guess it doesn't matter.

On the day I find the hooker, I have a good horoscope. It tells me I'm going to have a good day so I know I can leave the house. Let me look in my sc.r.a.pbook...oh, here it is.

Okay. This day, my Leo horoscope says: Outlook for the day: Good. You get cooperation and good fortune comes your way. A loved one will be agreeable now. Don't count on current romantic conditions to last very long because there could be a change of mind. Still, you have good probabilities for achieving objectives today.

There, you see? On that day, my horoscope was predicting that I would meet a girl and she'd be initially agreeable to my advances, but that a little while later, she'd change her mind. So everything that happens is pre-ordained. I can't alter what is supposed to be. I just have to do what my horoscope says, and since my horoscope didn't specify what my objectives were that day, I figured that part was up to me.

Anyway, that day...when is it...oh, I know, I'll look in my sc.r.a.pbook again. Let's see; yes, here it is: it was March third. I'll tell you about it.

You know I don't drive because I'm supposed to take medication. So I always take the bus when I go downtown. I figured I'd go downtown looking for love, because my horoscope says someone would be agreeable to my advances. And since my horoscope says the love wouldn't be permanent, I figured the stars must be talking about a prost.i.tute.

So you see, sometimes I have to interpret my horoscope. I mean, it's there in black and white, but the newspaper only has so much s.p.a.ce in which to print the horoscopes every day, so they can't be including names and places and stuff. But I'm really in tune to the stars, so my horoscopes never need names and places, because I can figure out that part on my own.

On this particular morning, I decide to take twenty dollars from my mother's cookie jar; ha-real original place to hide money, isn't it? Anyway, I sure don't want to spend more than twenty dollars on a hooker, know what I mean?

I put a hammer underneath my coat. I figure the hammer would work just fine to knock someone out.

I get on the bus and ride downtown. I get off on Twenty-Third Street because everyone knows the cheaper hookers walk around on Twenty-Seventh. That means I only need to walk four blocks from the bus stop for me to reach the streetwalkers.

So I get to Twenty-Seventh and look around. It's about one o'clock in the afternoon so there aren't a lot of hookers around. They usually come out in full force after dark, but there're always a couple of them strolling the street no matter what time of day or night. It's a twenty-four hour deal. It's just that there's more to choose from at night.

So I see this girl, right? She's white, and I want someone from my own race. I'm not prejudiced or anything; it's just that I have to have one with red hair. A redhead is a must, and this hooker has red hair.

I have confidence. I know the hooker will be okay with me because my horoscope told me so. She'll say yes.

I walk up to her. She's wearing this really short pair of cutoffs, showing her b.u.t.t cheeks in the back and all. She's got on high heels and some sort of sweater-top. She looks sort of skinny, but I figure she's probably more concerned with finding drugs than with finding food most of the time.

"I got twenty," I say. I don't feel like negotiating. My horoscope promised she'd say yes. And she does.

"Where'd ya wanna go, big fella?" she asks me.