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 everything anyway. Hospital staff, construction…
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 little over 3,000 people, and…
(Based on a real life premonition.) On the eve of his parents death Alex sat down at the dining table and poured himself a glass of crystalline red wine. He swirled it around in his mouth before swallowing and grimaced at sour grape-like taste that died on his tongue. Alex had never been much of…
I am going to start by saying I am terrified of spiders. Actually, terrified is to mild of a word to describe it. In fact it got to be so bad, that my boss told me that if I did not overcome my fears, that they would have to fire me, since it was getting…
Adam entered the living room and sat down with a glass of red wine, careful not to spill. He needed to have another talk with his wife. Things could get difficult. The wine helped him keep a level head. “Clara.” “Yes, dear?” “I’m glad you’re here. We have to talk.” “Okay,” she said. “About?” “Can…
Friday night, it’s the end of the long work week. You decide to wind down in the evening, watching a video your friend recommended. It’s about the history of cartoons. Something happy, and interesting to watch before bed. The music during most of the film is one of those catchy tunes that gets stuck in…
I had to grow up when I was six. I had two little brothers that depended on me. Liam was two and John was just a baby. Our parents were going through a nasty divorce and suddenly the children were just a burden that neither wanted to tend to. I was the one who made…
Have you ever been taking a shower while alone in the house and felt like something was moving around behind the curtain? Or watching you? Did you look up? Did you catch the very vaguest hint of eyebrows or a tuft of matted, greasy hair above the curtain rod? That’s not a good idea. It…
Back in the late Sixties, there existed a religious sect known as “The Process Church Of The Final Judgment.” Their core beliefs were that at the end of the world, Christ and Satan would come together, reconcile and begin to judge and execute the population. So, they worshipped both of them. While this information set…
The flawless white of the perfect snow stretched ambitiously towards the amber horizon. The immense glass walls seemed to amplify the majesty of the Norstu desert. I’d have been struck down by awe if perfection were not now a staple aspect of everyday life. The ochre support panels of the place of worship were delicately…
Ever since I can remember, the moment I fall asleep, I ‘wake up’ stuck in my body, unable to move, unable to sleep. The only thing I know that will wake my body up is my alarm clock in the morning, which is set to a ridiculously loud volume and, though I expect it to…
IT SKITTERED its way across the leaves, and I knelt down to get as close as I could. Eight legs, black body – it was one of the feared ones; a black widow. I knew that before I pulled up Nature’s Identity on my phone. But I needed to log it into the app to…
You stumble into the kitchen, covered in sweat. Mind racing. Heart thumping. Christ, could he have followed me here? You think. How did he even find me? A moment passes. One thing is certain. He’s not here now. Your stomach rumbles. Even someone in your position has to eat. Your refrigerator door cries as you…
I’ve lived in Central Florida my whole life. Disney World, mosquitos, the beach and flip flops are a way of life. I’m used to the sticky hot humidity, the gator filled swamps and the tea stained water of the St. Johns river. This is where my tale takes place; horrifying and unbelievable, yet true ……
She lived in a small apartment with her husband and two dogs. Since the building was old and the walls were thin, every noise made in the entryway and living room could be heard from the bedroom. Late one night, she decided to go to bed while her husband took the dogs outside for their…
If you wait at any given train station on a certain date, a train will appear that isn’t on any schedule. If you board the train you will find that the interior, regardless of the battered exterior, will be very elegant and old fashioned. Have a seat and enjoy the train ride. The steam engine…
This really did happen to me, and although I’m not haunted by the memory, it still freaks me out and I’m pretty much out of rational explanations. I don’t know if this is going to be freaky to any of you, but I can tell you that my irrational paranoia of the dark worsened after…
I’m running as fast as I can down the road ahead of me. It’s a long gravel road, and as far as my eyes can see there is no end. I’m in heels. I’ve tripped and stumbled and nearly fallen countless times, but I can’t risk stopping long enough to take them off. I can…
This is an entry in the ongoing Mark of Canus pasta series. Two concepts exist in our world, the natural, and the supernatural. Humanity actively sees and understands the natural, as we progress in science and mathematics, but most of us refuse to observe the existence of the supernatural, as we usually cannot perceive it….
The thin ones, the Impervious, were watching. I would never be safe from them. They were there, they were always there. The warped, the dead, the undead, whatever the fuck they were. They had been there for as long as I could possibly remember. Before I get into detail about what I am about to…
To whom it may concern: If you are receiving this letter I must first urge you to not throw it away. This is not an advertisement, this is not a scam. We want no money from you at all. This letter was sent to you solely for your benefit. According to our statistics if you…
She had no memory of how she got here. Deep within a labyrinthine dungeon, in a multitude of cold, rocky, undulating passages, intertwining and stretching in every direction, dimly lit with torches but still somehow as dark and sinister as a moonless night, The Girl, barely eight years old, found herself cold and alone, wandering…
Like snakes slithering, intertwined, So are the constructs of my mind. I wonder if ’twas by Divine design, Or just the passage of Earth’s cruel time. No matter the case, I must digress, For I cannot think under such duress, Nor contemplate mine own egress, Into this dark pit of emptiness. With so much stress…
On the first night Julie laid eyes upon the shadowy ‘Chicken Man’, there was a steady downpour. The figure, who was distant enough to seem beetle-like to Julie’s eye, lurched steadily towards her family’s barn. The Chicken Man would appear on every night of a full moon, and walk into that very barn where the…