The Widow Without Hands: Stories From The Channel

Mist crawls into Senča Vas from the mountains as five robed elders gather in the Black Wood with their torches held high, as the pleas of Elsbeth Korrin, a midwife accused of witchcraft, fall on deaf ears.

They wanted a curse, so she gave them one.
But that was centuries ago. All that remained of Elsbeth's curse were whispers between the townsfolk of cursed midwives and bad omens.

That was, until those cursed scorched handprints appeared above the crib of Briony's daughter... When the livestock began to die again and the crops failed, the town's suspicions had nowhere else to turn but to this unmarried midwife's striking similarities to Elsbeth.

History always has a way of repeating itself.

With the help of a wooden board covered in strange symbols and pulsing with energy, Briony can reach the Channel—a bridge between her world and the spirit realm to communicate with the souls of the dead.

The only way to save her daughter and the fate of her town is to bring the truth behind the curse to light.

Secrets unravel, accusations from the townsfolk burn like wildfire, and Briony has visions into a world she doesn't belong to.

R.D. Thorne writes young adult horror fantasy that weaves dark folklore with character-driven storytelling. With a focus on atmosphere, mystery, and high-stakes supernatural tension, Thorne's work invites readers into worlds where danger waits just beyond the veil. The Thirteenth Bell marks the beginning of the Stories From The Channel series.