What Lies Beneath

WHAT LIES BENEATH is a fantasy and magical realism short story collection from K. Anderson. It explores human nature, connection, and emotion through mythology, the supernatural, and modern-day settings.
WHAT LIES BENEATH features "Skins," "Collect Call," and two versions of "Slate Gray."
"Skins", the first story in this collection, is a spin on the Scandinavian tale of "The Lindworm," where the daughter of a gardner is married to the monstrous Lindworm Prince in an effort to appease him after he has already eaten his first two brides.

"Collect Call" is a grisly story focusing on tension in stasis and a woman's will to live. Mary must figure out a way to survive bothing her most recent job for the mob when she is collected by one of its members.
"Slate Gray" focuses on the dynamic between morally gray Louis and Detective Princeton. They attempt the beginnings of a romance despite Princeton having been hunting Louis down for years for an art heist.

"Slate Gray, Version Two," plays out the tension between Vampire Louis and Detective Princeton, who has the opportunity to finally kill Louis after the vampire is injured in a fight, but takes the chance to attempt at the first steps in a romance instead.