A Codex of Malevolence

A Codex of Malevolence by Matthew Sawyer is a short story collection that tracks the spread of weird and unholy evil from Wister Town, Wisconsin. In both compilations, the tales are presented in an approximate chronology. This codex continues a record of chimeric eruptions within the United States Midwest and documents their more recent origin on the West Coast.

“Babies Kill the Unborn: A Rockumentary” - the launch of the world tour by the rock band “Venger of Unborn.” Father Mackis knows a demon drives the success of the band and the pious clergyman ensures fiery ruin at their concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Circular Heir- Mary Gantz wins a contest for her unborn son to inherit eight billion dollars upon the death of a rich benefactor, Aido Yasu. To qualify for the fortune, Mary must consume the ashes of Mr. Yasu's brain before her baby is born.

Bullish Flavor - Reporters from the Binger Evening Times printed newspaper attend a tour of the Minotaur Meats slaughterhouse and meat packaging plant. Despite specifying she doesn't want to witness the slaughter and butchering of mythical minotaurs, Erin Hofstetter and her photographer, Pat Hendrickson, Pat still needs to get her photographs!

Garnish - A middle-aged farming couple, receive the ashes of a dead friend, Donny. Donny requested he be disposed in the Nile River – too far for the Mottes to go, so the Mississippi will have to do.

Disaster at Minotaur Meats - Mr. Brinks, the owner and operator of Minotaur Meats, has work for his two adopted nephews. The teenage boys, Doug and Donald, are given jobs hunting escaped a newly discovered rat-like species butchered for its exotic meat.

The Fevered Possessed - Fourth-grader, Jerry Lacter, strips to his waist during a noon recess on a January day in Wisconsin. He complains he's hot but the playground supervisor sends him to the principal's office. Tina, Jerry's friend, redirects the boy to the nurse's office instead. His body exudes an enormous amount of heat.

Ghoulish - Someone has been breaking into Milwaukee morgues and stealing body parts. The police find their suspect when they apprehend Sam Pechinski, lapping up blood, at the scene of a fatal traffic accident. The suspect admits guilt, claiming he is on the verge of “transformation.”

Pagan Exorcist - Annie, a millennium-old witch, is disturbed at dawn when a teenage boy knocks on her door. A demon has possessed the boy and now asks the witch to exorcise him

Preternatural Valentine - Charlie gets an anonymous Valentine's Card at his job in Santa Barbara, CA. He's instantly suspicious and thinks his boss and coworkers have conspired against him. After he leaves work that evening on Valentine's Day, Charlie is introduced to his genuine secret admirer. Despite renewed hope and expectations, it ends badly.

Heart of the Snowman - Two young sorcerers in Southern Wisconsin have an opportunity to animate a snowman with a dead man's heart. Rob first must know why Mr Jelinshek showed up at Tim's house, he distrusts his friend and fellow alchemist while they explore the Dark Arts.

The Unburnt Bush - Donna Montanay interviews Marsha Pinot, an old sorority friend and internationally famous multimedia artist. She accompanies the artist to a gallery in La Crosse, Wisconsin to see a paper mache labia and mysterious pool of shadow, both components to the piece of artwork called The Unburnt Bush.

The Unbreathing - Paul Murry rushes his unresponsive wife, Barb, to the hospital after the woman collapses and stops breathing. While traveling, the Murry's are in an accident caused by a man an EMT, named Allen, suspected suffered road rage.

Portal Painter - Debbie Menon hopes to become a professional painter in Los Angeles. Her mural in a pizzeria catches the interest of a local screenwriter, who pays Debbie thousands of dollars to paint a pattern on his concrete patio. The screenwriter tells Debbie the design is a portal.