In my youth, I found myself fascinated by my father’s line of work. I would jump up when I saw him arrive home with his bag, and sprint to him with boyish excitement, begging and bargaining for the right to watch him. He never said yes, of course, because no […]
The Taxidermist’s Son Read More »
EYE-WITNESS REPORT TRANSCRIPT RUSTIC FARMS, NEW HAMPSHIRE DISCOVERY SITE WITNESS: RICHARD A. FABIAN I had always wanted to hike; like really hike. None of these trails or pathways. Those are too linear. When I was little, my dad took me through a forest, and it was the most exhilarating hike
It seemed like just an ordinary box. The wood was old and weathered, the fastenings were heavy brass, and the lid was inlaid with an ornate silver symbol. My father willed it to me after the state executed him for murder. He left no explanation or instructions, only the small,
The Unopenable Wooden Box Read More »
He could feel his stomach almost twist as the aircraft started its long ascent into the sky. He was already holding onto his seat, yet now he couldn’t help but tighten his grip even more. How long had it been since he’d last been on a plane? A good fifteen
It Came From Above Read More »
“Alright, let’s get this started. Incision time, 9:45,” a manly voice said loudly, jolting me awake. I felt groggy, and my eyes were kept shut by tape covering my eyelids. I tried to call out for help, but quickly realised I couldn’t form any words, nor move a single muscle.
I Woke Up During Surgery Read More »
This week, I was supposed to digitize all of Dr. Marnen’s patient files. I was feeling good about my progress when I saw it. A second filing cabinet, hiding behind the shelves, that I’d never noticed before. Sighing with fatigue, I yanked open the first drawer. I plucked out a
When I was a child there was nothing to eat. I was the eldest of five, so it was my job to make sure that I always let my brothers and sisters eat before me. War was inching inward from the coast, and as it marched closer, our food grew
I’d always known that my great-grandma was an orphan, but in late October of last year, she decided to tell me the truth about what happened to her family. We were visiting her for her birthday. It was a tradition in our household; a road trip we knew in the
A Peculiar Kind of Madness Read More »
I’ve never much cared for religion. I mean, it’s interesting and all; the old parables and philosophic insights from people two millenniums removed from the present. I particularly enjoy the books of the Apocrypha, and the Bible’s magnum opus of Revelation, if for nothing else than the interesting stories. Even
When Science Found God Read More »
Jobs come and go. That’s part of the beauty of living in America – you can change jobs freely if you aren’t happy. It’s a luxury not everyone in the world has. For years and years, my life was consumed by business – retail, specifically. It wasn’t my plan…I sort
I Picked the Wrong Profession Read More »
Do you know what it’s like to live without a soul? Because I do. It’s like watching a romantic movie that’s so perfect you find yourself falling in love with the character. Then the lights come on, and you suddenly remember that person doesn’t exist. And even if they did,
My Soul is in a Paper Lantern Read More »
I must warn you now that every detail included in this account is not of my own invention – though I wish from the bottom of my heart that it was exactly that, an invention – and that none of it is at all pleasant to read, so if you
I’d been depressed for a long time, mostly since my dad died. All his friends called him a hero; he was a cop and he sacrificed himself to save the lives of 23 people being held by an active shooter. I was 9 when that happened, I remember it like
I Don’t Think My Friend Ran Away Read More »
Guys, I need help. I’m posting this from my car parked at a truck stop just outside Keiser, Arkansas. My parents own a cabin in rural Tennessee. Since they’re getting older, we’ve been splitting the responsibility of caring for the property. I go down there by myself a few times
Let Me Take Your Picture Read More »
“Purgatory on Earth” read the flyer as it flapped unevenly in the wind, poorly stapled against the wooden post of a power line. It was an interesting title, not exactly the alluring intro phrase most religious recruitment ads used. For what I knew of Purgatory, it wasn’t exactly a place
If Glass Could Scream Read More »
At first, I didn’t think anything of it. My neighbor would stop to chat with me, leash in hand, and I would catch glimpses of the metal slider dangling from its belly. I assumed it was wearing a piece of pet clothing, or that perhaps it was the byproduct of
My Neighbor’s Dog Has a Zipper Read More »
“Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t real.” “How do you know?” “Because you can feel them when they’re close,” I said. “The goosebumps on your skin even though it’s not cold. The way the air tastes, and the dry lump in your throat. That’s
The World’s Oldest Tree Is Trying to Communicate Read More »
Freya Clydesdale and I grew up together; her house being right next door to mine. Though younger than me by a few years, she is perhaps the smartest person I have ever known and will ever know. One of the clearest memories I have of our time together took place
The Girl Who Made the Stars Sing Read More »
There I was, scratching my ninth scratch-off ticket in a row at my local convenience store. My eyes widened with hope, but also sank in with the anticipation of disappointment. The other eight representations of my gambling fuel rested in pieces inside the store’s waste bin. Revealing each number using
The Cat With Human Teeth Read More »
I’ve been dead now for almost five weeks, it feels different than you might think. Of course, I’m not really dead, if I were I wouldn’t be able to write this account of what happened to me, but legally at least, I have been declared dead. Once you’re dead it’s
How Do You Prove You Are Alive? Read More »
I’m a student at Bridgewater State in Massachusetts. I share a dorm with my roommate, Wallace. We both major in computer science, and that’s all we’ve ever talked about on the rare occasions that we actually speak to one another. We don’t have much else in the way of common
My Roommate Joined a Deep Web Cult Read More »
Every year since my son Lucas turned 10, he, my wife Jennet, and I have taken a week-long vacation in Vermont. Years ago, my wife’s father left her a small cottage by a lake I had never heard of, in a town I had also never heard of up to
A Town Where Strange Things Happen Read More »
Ever just stand back and admire the presence of even the simple atmosphere around you? The aroma, the embellishment, or the hands in motion on an old antique clock, making the room seem alive? This was my reaction as I stepped foot into my newly purchased house, with
There’s Something Living in the Wallpaper Read More »
A few years back, I worked as a nurse in the geriatric unit of the hospital in my hometown. There was one old woman there with pale blue eyes whose mind was still fantastically sharp, and her desire to socialize and make new friends set her apart from most others
No Eyes, No Tongue, No Fingertips Read More »
