The Light in the Sky
My family has lived all over Southern California, from San Diego to Los Angeles and back again. For a few years we lived outside of Los Angeles, in the valley north of the city, an area ...
The Light in the Window
Joan was not in the mood for the early shift. In a sleepy daze, without much (if any) mindfulness of what she was doing, she clutched her cell phone resting on her nightstand, and, after a ...
The Lighthouse
There is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea that does not appear on any map. It cannot be seen from any other island, nor can any other land be seen from it. On this island ...
The Lighthouse Project
In early April of 2016, a study was conducted on the psychological effects of solitary confinement under the influence of lights. It was on a Sunday morning when tragedy transpired for Guy XXXXX*. *At their request, ...
The Lights
On the southern edge of the small town of Rhanville there is a wide unlit road that separates the town from a wild and thick forest. Three houses adorn the northern edge of the road – ...
The Lights in Papa’s Room
It was the year of my 25th birthday that my dad told me he was sick. It was hard to hide, really. Obvious. But I suppose it would be hard for such a mountain of a ...
The Lights in the House Below
All great writers claim to suffer from insomnia at least once in their lives, although I’m sure a bulk of them misuse the term and glorify the disorder. After all, all artists “struggle” and it seems ...
The Lilies Are Bleeding
My lilies are my most prized possession. Hand picked. I will only take the most supremely beautiful specimens. They must be white as an angel’s wings, and so soft and delicate to the touch that you ...
The Linen Closet
Reading a couple stories here, and something that happened to me came to mind. You ever have moments that you blip out completely? As if your brain can bother to remember something only so often, so ...
The Little People
For as long as I can remember, strange things have happened to me. When I was young, my mother and I lived in my grandmother's house; a big, drafty Victorian beast of a thing squatting in ...
The Little Religion
We called it the Little Religion because there were only four members: Gina, the baker’s wife; homeless Owen; Pally, the chestnut farmer; and my brother Curt. They held services in the town square at noon each ...
The Little Wooden Box
It was your standard blue collar work day—in at 9, work for eight hours, out by 5. My dad was on his way home to have a standard blue collar evening when something not-so-standard happened. Driving ...
The Littlefork Bodysnatchers
Over the past few decades, a disturbing rumor has spread throughout the backwoods settlement of Littlefork. People there tell tales of so-called “alternates,” who kidnap and impersonate the small town’s residents. Taking the form of their ...
The Living History Project
One of my least favorite parts about being a middle school history teacher is the bullshit “Living History” assignments we give at the end of every school year. Kids are supposed to sit with their grandparents ...
The Lockwood House
I'm not particularly a religious person. I never really connected with the idea of believing in a God or a Devil; something like religion never really resonated with me until the night a few of my ...
The Lonely Searcher
You’re probably wondering why this notebook is in your seat. But don’t ask me about it, because I’ll purposely ignore you. Don’t get offended, because it’s for your own good that I pay no attention to ...
The Lonely Stars
“Houston, come in. This is UN Space Station Libra. Come in, Houston.” No reply, just like every other time. I throw the receiver in disgust, the weightless environment causing it to float mockingly in front of ...
The Long Night
Bound in night’s shackles, an ageing man yearns to be free. As he tries to cry aloud only a starved, raspy breath escapes his tired lungs. Too weak to be heard, he faces this terror alone ...
The Looming Person
I am out of time. I have to tell all of you before it is too late. For weeks it has been following me everywhere and now it is here, in this very room. I don't ...
The Lord of the Scarecrows
In this place, where tales of terror draw forth the most loathsome of emotions, stop for a moment, dear seeker, and reflect. Is there someone that you really and truly hate? Someone who has worsened your ...