My hand was resting on my thigh, nervously caressing a little box tucked away neatly in a corner of my pocket. My date for the evening was sitting on the other end of the table and was animatedly talking on the phone. Well, not my date exactly – Chloe and […]
I stumbled into a gang initiation, and now I about to become their victim Read More »
Robert never came to the beach when his friends and family invited him – for a swim, for a picnic, for a party – and so they stopped asking. He didn’t hate the sea. It was more complicated than that; he was a poor swimmer, true, and justly afraid of
“Ugh, Emma, can you get the trunk for me?” The dim winter sun was setting over the parking lot, nearly devoid of shoppers at this late hour, aside from a van in one distant corner that had just started backing out of its spot. I set my bag down in
Read part one here I don’t know how long I was held in my watery prison. A month, a year…a decade? There was no way for me to measure time. Two years before my death I committed a terrible crime, and now I was suffering an ironic punishment courtesy of
I can’t get up. I can’t move. I can’t see. I can’t get up. I can still feel. I can still feel the deep sting of the blade he used to rupture my heart. I felt my blood leave my body, coating his hands with sticky redness. I felt his
My Mind will Never Cease to Be Read More »
I work the night shift at a local mom-and-pop convenience store at the front of my neighborhood. We sell snacks, drinks, milk, bread, all the normal stuff that people need but aren’t willing to make a traditional run to the grocery store for. There was talk about adding a gas
Melody wakes up screaming. It’s midnight. Her body jolts up. Eyes shut tight; mouth open wide. Screams rip from her throat. They turn into sobs as Buster jumps onto the bed. He nestles his head in by her side, purring and watching her catch her breath. “You’re okay,” she says.
My name is Metteo Aerni, I am a astro guidance scientist. This is my account of what I have been through the last 14 years. I used to work for the Combined European Space & Research organization, the officially do not exist as the same for the US agency. We
We don’t celebrate Halloween where I come from. My main exposure to it as a kid was through Western media, and while I didn’t fully understand the premise, I found the general aesthetic of the holiday pretty neat and wished to experience it someday. Fast forward about fifteen years and
The cool autumn air filled the lungs of Detective Josh Gaines as he exited his patrol car and walked to the front entrance of the Buckingham Funeral Home. Gaines was a 17-year veteran of the Helmer County police department and a lifelong resident of the small Indiana town of Darby.
The Mystery in Darby Read More »
Read Part one here Read Part two here Read Part three here Read Part four here Read Part five here I awoke to chaos; my senses being simultaneously overwhelmed. A light brighter than any sun temporarily blinded me, and my ears were filled with a deafening, siren-like din. My body shot forward, and
The Europa War Trial Read More »
As Tabitha stalked down the sidewalk on her way home, she scanned her path intently. Not only was she diligently avoiding stepping on the cracks in the concrete – her older brother, Tommy, had told her several times that would bring bad luck – but she was on the lookout.It
The train is leaving in two minutes. The young girl hurries along the platform. Evening travellers pack the station. She is small and can wriggle her way between the briefcases and linen jackets. A heavy carriage door swings open. A dash to the step, she hikes up her short denim
An Encounter on the Train to Oxford Read More »
Tommy was lying in bed when he heard heheard a gunshot ring out in his Nebraskan home.. Gunshots were not an unusual sound for Tommy. His pa was a esteemed gun collector and living on the farm his pa had often fired the gun as pesky predators that have tried
CRASH! Thomas nearly jumped out of his skin at the waitress, suddenly dropping her tray of glassware a mere 5 feet from his booth. The sound of jingling glass shards and metallic forks bouncing around could be heard long after the accident initially occurred as they bounced around wildly. This
I crawl. Thirsty. Bitter. So bitter, but I must eat them. The things that grow. They came here in a recent time. The growths are bright. They have a neck, and there is a ball on top of that neck, and one two three four five six seven round fans
We Dream of the Quiet Dark Read More »
The balloons flew over a month after the economy collapsed. It had been hanging on by a thread for a while, but eventually, our government couldn’t afford basic human needs anymore. We were left to rot in the streets, local and corporate business began their shutdowns, raiders had gotten to
Miss Green wiped away the thick layer of condensation that had gathered on her classroom’s paper thin-window. She flicked away the droplets from her hand, peered out into the misty morning schoolyard, and was instantly stalked by Toothless Joe’s big cartoon eyes. The great, dumb statue sat smack-bang in the
With every passing minute, 10-year-old Elijah stares at the clock, knowing that bedtime is right around the corner. Ever since a thunderstorm knocked out the power a few nights ago, his fear of the dark has been keeping him up at night. Reluctantly, he turns on a large reading lamp
Goodnight, Sleep Tight Read More »
I was told I shouldn’t write this. My friends, those few that I have left, tell me it will be embarrassing, a public declaration of my mental illness. My father, dry as ever, reminded me that it would contradict my sworn testimony in court. And for my part, I know
The first time Sasha got high, she stood face-to-face with a black bear in the backyard of her friend’s house. She was giggling while her two best friends Jade and Colt stood behind her absolutely terrified. She wasn’t sure why this was her reaction or what other drug those edible
The Winsted Wildman Read More »
I frantically threw my shirt off my head, covering my bare chest and staring down at the fabric on the ground as my heart played a tune. I had felt the bugs inside the shirt as I was putting it on, but none emerged from its openings. My skin still
“You know, it wasn’t always like this, Clarice.” “Who’s Clarice?” she asked delicately. “And how is it different now, Seth?” “Well, it used to be— used to be a lot quieter.” Seth turned his head and stared through her face. “Remember? Before the owls, Clarice.” She smiled. “Seth, I’ve told
My name is Hunter Bell and – at the time of writing – I have a week left to live. Five years ago, I was convicted of thirteen counts of first degree murder and sentenced to death. The DA’s office, police and media have portrayed me as one of the
I was a bank robber who came face-to-face with an ancient evil Read More »
