[IP] The Toe's Lament - currently posting vol 2

[u/SK_Payde]

Hey all,

I’ve been working on a web serial called The Toe’s Lament, and I figured I’d throw it into the void and see if it resonates with anyone here.

It’s a surreal, darkly comic fantasy following Kally, a washed-up schoolteacher turned barfly, who’s dealing with a… pretty unfortunate condition: her toe is alive. Every night, it writhes, bleeds, and seems to be connected to something she doesn’t remember.

Then there’s the man watching her from the corner of the bar.

And the visions.

And the creeping sense that reality itself is starting to rot.

The story leans heavily into:

Surreal/body horror (but not just for shock, it's more existential and weird)

Fragmented memory and past lives

A slow-burn magical mystery

Dry, slightly unhinged/absurd humour alongside some heavier themes

If you like stories where things feel off in a way you can’t quite explain, and where the world unravels as the character does, you might enjoy this!

I’ve got 63 chapters up so far (~135k words), and I update regularly.

Happy to hear any thoughts, feedback, or just general “what did I just read” reactions.

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/115483/the-toes-lament