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 day. They were quiet with their worship. The four of them would sit in a circle on the grass,…
It was the design of Angelo Ricci and Joe Czanek and Manuel Silva to call on the Terrible Old Man. This old man dwells all alone in a very ancient house on Water Street near the sea, and is reputed to be both exceedingly rich and exceedingly feeble; which forms a situation very attractive to…
She tried pulling herself back, but however hard she tried, however hard she pushed, she could not stop her feet dragging her towards the open window. She dug her heels into the wooden floor, feeling splinters coming off it as her feet dragged her onward. Her hands caught the window-sill, and the wind blew in…
*** *** When I was a young girl, I developed a love for plush. Large, small, velveteen, cotton – no stuffed animals were off limits. I received one on every gift-giving occasion; before long, I had quite the collection. Though I loved all of my stuffed animals, one in particular stood out above the rest….
Part 1 “I’m sorry, did you say Satan?” The young man standing on my porch nodded eagerly. “Yes, sir!” he said. “We have come to spread the message of our lord and savior Satan.” I looked from him to his companion. Both were dressed in ill-fitting white button down shirts and black slacks, with gelled…
Slow is the smolder of fire igniting in flesh. The skin cracks and dries and powders to ash, incinerating extremities long before flame penetrates to vital systems. The eyes will boil from the skull and cartilage will melt and run like wax. The insulated brain will be protected all the while, still cognizant of the…
I stepped up to the dilapidated red building, grinning from ear to ear. This is what brought me thrills in life; abandoned structures across America. This particular one was in Stoneychurch State Park, located in a rural town just south of the state border. I had been dreaming of going there my whole life. So,…
DISCLAIMER: None of this information has been released to the public. What I’m about to share with you is highly confidential. My superiors at the bureau are trying their best to keep these killings a secret to avoid panic, but I can’t keep my mouth shut any longer. You all deserve to know the danger…
When I saw the car for sale on Craigslist, I was shocked. Not only was it a good price, decent shape, and reliable brand – but it was custom built for someone who didn’t have legs! Both of my legs had to be amputated due to a childhood illness. Obviously, it made driving a lot…
The new epidemic is already beyond its patient zero. Whether or not I am infected, I am confident that Mr. Bridestar will soon have me murdered. He will do this in order to keep the disease’s name unknown. I won’t let him win, though. At least not completely. Although this may be the most important…
Two whiskey sours, one Old-Fashioned, and a Madras. Where’s the cranberry juice? I’ll have to cut up another orange. I can’t find a sugar cube; I wonder if Mr. George will notice it missing. Be very careful about which whiskey sour gets the antifreeze. Add extra lemon juice to that one, so that Larry doesn’t…
“The water is perfect at this time of night.” Shana lifted her long, white dress over her thin shoulders and dipped under the cool depths of Lake Diamond. “Don’t be such a baby, Freeman. We didn’t come out here at two AM for nothing.“ She smiled when she spoke. I loved that. After five months…
I spent almost four months looking for Otto. He went missing shortly after the old chocolate factory began operating again. Allegedly – according to the reports, at least – there was an “incident” during a tour of the factory he went on. He fell into a stream of highly viscous chocolate, and was taken down…
The last survivors gathered at the town center, all of us desperate for our daily ration. Dark skies loomed above, obscured by bizarre clouds, hiding us from daylight. Ironically, our town had once been nick-named the “Sunshine City,” a faint memory of better times. On that particular day, it had been one year since our…
Avraham looked about his new laboratory with both pride and trepidation. In the dim light, he could make out the shapes of tables, crates, and the special piece of equipment that he had requested – all draped under sheets to keep the dust off. He was excited to begin the project he had been tasked…
If you’re reading this, then I assume you know all about Snapchat’s “Psychic Knock Game.” If not, you can click HERE to get caught up. N̴o̸n̷e̷ ̶o̵f̴ ̷u̴s̷ ̵r̸e̶a̵l̷i̵z̶e̸d̴ ̵w̴h̷a̴t̵ ̶w̷e̸ ̵w̴e̶r̴e̷ ̶g̷e̸t̸t̷i̷n̴g̷ ̷i̵n̸t̵o̶.̶ ̵D̸a̸v̵i̴d̴ ̷i̸s̸ ̸t̵h̵e̶ ̸o̵n̴e̶ ̸w̵h̵o̷ ̴c̶l̵i̵c̸k̴e̶d̶ ̷o̷n̵ ̸t̶h̵e̵ ̶p̴o̶s̷t̴ ̵a̴n̶d̶ ̸d̵e̷c̴i̴d̸e̸d̷ ̴w̵e̸ ̸s̶h̴o̷u̴l̷d̸ ̷p̶l̷a̷y̷.̵ …. It was Thursday night and David’s…
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, mysterious wooden box. At first…
It was your typical college setting. A lecture hall with fifty students, maybe more. One moment a guy in the front row was answering a question from the professor, and the next, a big black sphere was hanging in the air where his head used to be. Now that was anything but typical. I was…
The Commuter, dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase, commutes to the office each morning on the Tube. He enters Baker Street station at around 7am every weekday, and catches the southbound train towards Canary Wharf on the Jubilee Line. The station is generally not very busy at this time in the morning…
It’s been a week since the program started. A program that I thought would be the easiest way to make fifty grand within a week, but things turned to shit on the third day of a project called The Second Coming. Eighteen people were involved in the project. Eight of us were observers. I was…
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 during a particularly strange winter….
As the operations manager for a large discount store, it is my job to ensure that the various electrical and mechanical systems, such as cash registers, pricing guns, and even the toilets in the rest rooms are working as they should be. A few weeks ago I got word that my store was going to…
It was ten minutes till close when I heard the door swing open. Jingle-jingle. Ugh. A customer this late? It was my first day at Tony’s Pizzeria, and I was eager to get home. My manager, Mason, had to leave early – his infant son had a fever – and I was left all alone to…
Little Johnny got a fudge pop laced with razors. Susan got an orange pop filled with hydrochloric acid. Billy got Dip N’ Dots dipped in fire ant poison. 97 more to go. A new park everyday; new deaths every night. He was careful, always making false leads, always covering his tracks. He was clever, he…