Vortex Magazine of Literature and Fine Art: Fall 2023 Online Edition

Page 88

The Cost of Crowns By Konner Elmore

Once upon a time in a great Northern city, lived a mighty king and the world’s greatest woodworker. The king’s domain spread across the land, thanks to the mighty ships that the woodworker designed for him. Pleased with his work, the king summoned the woodworker to his throne. He said, “Thou hast done this kingdom a great service, simply name your desire, and it will be yours.” The woodworker smiled and shook his head. “I desire nothing, my king. I have my home, my health, and my family. That is all I need.” The king was angered by this rejection. If he truly desired nothing, then the king would take away his contentment. Discreetly, he ordered his men to dress as brigands and burn the woodworker’s house to the ground. The king summoned him the next day, and the woodworker brought an ornate wooden chest, covered in jewels. The king was pleased and said, “Thou hast done this kingdom a great service. I heard your home was destroyed, surely now thou desire my charity?” Now homeless, the woodworker smiled and shook his head. “I desire nothing, my king. I have my health and my family. That is all I need.” The king, now wrathful, ordered the bodies of enemy soldiers to be thrown into the woodworkers’ well. He soon became sickly and weak. When he was next summoned to the king, the woodworker brought a 10ft wooden statue of the king in his battle armor, the enemy’s head swinging from his hand. The king was pleased and said, “Thou hast done this kingdom a great service. Your home is gone, and your vigor is fading. What wouldst thou desire of me?” Now homeless and sickly, the woodworker smiled and shook his head. “I desire nothing, my king. I have my family. That is all I need.” The king became enraged. No longer caring about his discrepancy, he ordered his men to round up the woodworker’s wife and children. The children’s heads were put on a spike, with the wife’s skin waving like a flag attached. The woodworker was summoned once again to the king. This time he brought a wooden, gold-accented crown and his mallet in his hand. The king was pleased and said, “Thou hast done this kingdom a great service. Your home is gone, your vigor is fading, and your family lies dead. What wouldst thou desire of me?” Now homeless, sickly, and without a family, the woodworker smiled and shook his head as he went to place the crown upon the king. Only then, the king noticed too late the barbs embedded in the crown’s temple. The woodworker brought the crown down on the king’s head, the barbs serrating his skin as he cried in pain. “I desire nothing, my king. I have my sorrow.” He brought the mallet down against the crown, further embedding the wooden crest. His eyebrows began to split from his face. “I have my pain.” The mallet crashed down again, the king’s eyes now hidden by a veil of crimson. “And most importantly, I have your suffering.” The mallet made a final descent with a sickening crack, as the king’s skull popped akin to a knuckle.

88


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Articles inside

Out of Body

1min
page 155

YOUR LAST BUBBLE

1min
pages 138-143

Going Ape

1min
page 134

Violet Saponaria

1min
page 121

silver screen

1min
page 117

Buccinidae

1min
page 116

Lauren

1min
page 109

First Day Since

1min
pages 90-108

Kuzzo

1min
page 89

Starry-Eyed Fae

1min
page 79

Clicker

1min
page 73

Careless Whisper

1min
page 69

Raggedy Ann

1min
pages 40-49

I just live in this world, you paint it.

1min
page 61

Angel

1min
page 54

Fierce companion

1min
page 51

Lost - Self Portrait

1min
page 34

The Depth of Prayer

1min
page 26

Wiley Rabbit

1min
page 18

Frankenstein

1min
page 12

Editors' Choice Winner in Art (Cover Art): Reduction

1min
page 323

Mary

7min
pages 316-320

The Guiltiest Paint

12min
pages 312-315

The Boys At School: A 501 Hotties Story

9min
pages 308-311

Since You’ve Gone

17min
pages 301-306

Worthy

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page 295

Inside Jokes of Possible Converts

1min
pages 292-293

A Psalm of Joy

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page 291

It’s Too Early to Bring Things to Life

0
page 289

My Friend Eric

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page 281

flowers are for pansies

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pages 278-279

Elegy to the Pencil That Drew Veronica In

1min
pages 276-277

Oh Moon, My Moon

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page 271

Sonnet No. 1

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page 267

Yet

1min
pages 264-266

to bear it all.

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page 263

Smoke Should Fall

1min
pages 260-261

the lepidopterist

1min
pages 258-259

The Descent

2min
page 255

Expressed Woes

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pages 252-253

Arrivederci

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page 249

Chameleon in Combat

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page 247

Three Intertwined Souls

1min
page 233

Eat the Invasive

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page 231

zlatý dážď [golden rain]

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page 229

The Last Hour of Arthur Oggleharrow

19min
pages 202-210

Permission

4min
pages 196-200

From a Pitch to a Planet

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page 188

ozark funeral

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page 183

excerpt from the corpse of a young maid

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page 177

Fireproof Safe for Emotions

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page 173

Replacement

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page 171

The Person Everyone Believes You Are

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pages 168-169

Take the Time

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page 167

i’m not angry, i...

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page 163

You & I

2min
pages 158-159

Winds Like a Hurricane

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Asterion

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Editors' Choice in Creative Nonfiction: How Dead Dogs and A-Level Geometry Helped Me Realize I Could Do Anything

13min
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autonomy.

3min
pages 146-147

Bad Dog

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Greyback

27min
pages 124-131

Editors' Choice in Poetry: desperation.

1min
pages 122-123

anachronism

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page 120

Springtime

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page 112

Self Love

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pages 110-111

First Day Since

21min
pages 90-108

The Cost of Crowns

2min
page 88

I Believe in Grilled Cheese

1min
page 87

Bad Hair Day

1min
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Sick

2min
pages 80-81

His Name Was Michael

14min
pages 74-78

like i do.

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page 68

Letter to My Mentor

3min
pages 66-67

names are like flowers

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Gregory

13min
pages 56-60

Butterfly

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page 50

Little Me

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flicka.

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page 32

Summertime Funeral

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Ennui

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homesick

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