One Final Death

An immortal viking. A deadly curse. Time is running out. Meet Logan, a 1200-year-old Viking in New York City with a special gift to give to a certain someone. This is a short story that originally appeared in the award-winning collection, OFF BEAT: Nine Spins on Song, in which each story is inspired by song lyrics! The idea for One Final Death bloomed in my mind after listening to Panic! At the Disco’s song, “Victorious.” The song thrums with fantastic power and electricity, and a feeling of fighting for a win, despite everything. The song is almost anthem-like; something a boxer would have playing over the loudspeakers during his walk-in. The lyrics that stood out to me the most spoke of murder and a deadly touch. That gave rise to a different kind of winning. I found myself thinking... What if it’s the power of deadly touch that’s singing this song? What if—like a virus—the power had its own dark nature, its own need to be victorious, without a care for or awareness of its host? Writing creepy stuff lends itself to authorly thoughts that wind down the darker paths...this song remains a favorite. Thanks for coming along for the story.