Linda, I’m not sure whether this letter will ever reach you, but I’m going to put it in the mailbox and hope for the best. It seems unlikely anyone’s actually going to deliver it, but this may be my last chance to contact the outside world, so I’m going to […]
Alice is telling the guys she doesn’t know that she wants to see the end of the world. They aren’t talking to her. No one is talking to her. The party happens around her without touching her, as if she is hermetically sealed. Outside, it’s snowing. She pauses for a
Sprawl & its Discontents Read More »
Frank woke up sweating again, five minutes before his alarm went off. He couldn’t remember much about the dream, just some green grass and maybe a half wall of reinforced concrete. There were no noticeable aspects of the dream that led reasonably to his feeling of terror, but every time
Take a Deep Breath Read More »
“Daddy, why do they hate us?” “Oh sweetie, it may seem like they hate us but really it is more like they chose us.” “But Daddy, I didn’t want to be picked!” “Neither did I pumpkin, but unfortunately it is the will of greater men and a greater God. This
Lessons From the Shadows of Hiroshima Read More »
You know what our problem is? We’re too damned accommodating. That’s what I told my wife when she agreed to look after that awful bird. We already look after a friend’s toddler every Thursday, and take the lady across the corridor shopping, and then there are all the charity-case kids
His room was quaint, containing quarters to sleep, a kitchenette and facilities. Simple, yet exceedingly modern, his room mirrored his personality near-perfectly; simple, open and inviting. It was the home of Tokiro Mitsuko. He sat on the foot of his bed and leaned back, remembering the events of the past
Forest of Suicides Read More »
He was running. He had to avoid detection. He was Test Subject 27-B. Heading back was no longer an option. His name was Daniel, but that didn’t matter, no one ever used names, not even the Civil Protection Officers. He ran along a wall near the East Entrance. The guards
So, three friends and I decided we were going to camp out in this 30 acre sanctuary down the street from my neighborhood. It’s paralleled by railroad tracks and a road on one side, and then a small road on the other said. There’s a lot of forest and trails,
She lay still in the darkness, not daring to make a single sound. For hours she had lay awake in her pitch black room, shivering with terror. She held herself tightly as to not ruffle the sheets which she griped with vise-like strength. She chewed on her tongue as to
“Goodnight, son. I’ll see you in the morning.” “But, Mom, what about the shadow man?” “Derek, we’ve been through this. There’s no shadow man in your closet.” “But…” “Go to sleep, now. And don’t think about the shadow man. He’s not real.” The door clicked shut behind her as Derek’s
Closet of Skeletons Read More »
It was 4:03 in the morning and I woke up screaming. It was my dream. In my dream, I watched everyone I ever knew or loved be killed by the creature. It had a short fat body, and long slender arms, which ended with claws that looked more like swords
Kurt Atkinson was an average college student with a knack for anything science-related, and had wild dreams of one day being celebrated as a hero in the science field, even though he knew that was too much to hope for at this point in his life. Aside from an interest
Modern Monster: Frankenstein Read More »
Hope. It really is the most powerful yet dangerous and cruel of human traits. It forces us to defy logic, sometimes at great cost. Other times it guides us through treacherous waters and back into the arms of our loved ones. We cannot live without being in its presence yet
The Danger and Cruelty of Hope Read More »
It was around midday when the call came. My manager at Target was asking whether I could work that night. The store had been understaffed recently since many of my co-workers had left town. I didn’t think much of it at the time; I didn’t really have time to make
Almost everyone has had a moment of déjà vu. Going about your business, you travel to school or work, or are simply strolling through the place you call home when something catches your attention. You’re sure you’ve seen it before yet you’re unable to recall when or where. You dismiss
You and Sarah rush through the doors as Rachel screams. Her cries abruptly cut off as the stone doors slam shut, though you can still hear a faint grinding coming from behind you. At the beginning, there were five, but now it was just you and Sarah. You catch your
It’s Not About You Read More »
I think it should go down in law that all small towns need an urban legend. Nothing ushers in excitement to a dull, lackluster town like a good ol’ fashioned ghost tale. Or monster tale, or murder tale, et cetera. My quaint little town of Nahant, Massachusetts holds around a
The House on Harbor View Road Read More »
January 21, 1922 I reached the farm just a few hours ago, and it is more than I could have possibly imagined. I knew as soon as I arrived that I had made the right choice. I was so uncertain about leaving the Thompson’s home; I had been there for
Dear Hannah, I’ve been doing a lot of running lately. It’s an excellent way to stay in shape. Obviously. But that’s not really why I do it. Mostly I just like the fresh air and the freedom, y’know, it gives me time to think. An hour or so with only
Today was perfectly normal to begin with, nothing out of the ordinary at all. The same old droning of daytime television and cars, the occasional bird just loud enough in the backyard to make itself heard over the top of the sounds that surround most any town based home. However,
“I will not cry.” That was my silent mantra as I sat, staring straight ahead, doing my best to show no reaction in response to the bitter hatred pouring from their mouths. This can’t be right. I must be in the wrong place, or wrong time, or something. How can
When I was a child my father owned a janitorial company that worked almost every night at our local Showbiz Pizza Place/Chuck E. Cheese’s. He would often bring me to work with him so I could play all of the arcade games without having to wait in line. He’d even
Where A Kid Can Be A Kid Read More »
Day 1 After stowing our luggage away under the bottom bunk and taking a few moments to adjust to our new ‘home’ for the next seven days, we turned to face our travelling companion or the random stranger who made the journey work out that little bit cheaper. She seemed
Tran-Siberian Express Read More »
When people are born blind, their minds never capture the visual stigmas that are necessary for dreams to be created. As a result, these individuals are eternally destitute of sight and stricken to experience only their other four senses while asleep. Some of these people find consolation in the fact
