I’m a postgraduate student studying archaeology at a prestigious university in the UK (not going to disclose my identity or the name of my school, so don’t ask). Over a week ago, I was part of a group tasked with examining a dig site in Northern England: a low-lying forested […]
I Found the Corpse of a Time Traveler Read More »
I remember the day I found it as if it were yesterday. The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the flea market on the outskirts of our quaint little town. It was the kind of day where everything seemed still, the heat lingering, pressing
The Blood Moon Rising Read More »
I found it in the back corner of a thrift store, hidden beneath a pile of broken jewelry. It was an old, tarnished mood ring with a thick, silver band that looked too big for any normal finger. The stone in the center had a dull, cloudy hue, but something
The package sat on the porch for an hour before Jack bothered to retrieve it. He eyed the box warily, like it might bite. It had been a drunk purchase, made in the dead of night after his fourth glass of whiskey and a failed attempt at writing Chapter One
It all began with the painting. My mom is an artist—she has a very creative style, one that often leaves me speechless, but not always in a good way. She’s into abstract art, and some of her pieces are a little… unsettling. Most of the time, I can just ignore
The Static Portrait Read More »
He woke up with wings. Two protrusions fluttered from beneath his skin. Slapping the bug in panic, he smeared blood down his arm. He took his hat and swatted a few more bloodsuckers circling around in his car. That’s what he got for sleeping with the windows down during summer.
I think, looking back on it all, I had a very gothic upbringing. By age ten, I had attended two family funerals and no weddings, I felt that I ‘identified’ with the colour black, and I found graveyards to be an excellent place to relax. They remain one of the
It was the last thing I remembered before my dad’s passing. The first time I saw it. I was eight years old at the time. It was dark outside my bedroom window and my eyes had a familiar burn. Tears dampened my young cheeks. My breath stuttered as it visited
The Puppet Theater in My Attic Read More »
You know that feeling you get? The one you can’t explain, but you know when someone is staring at you, or something is watching you. That base instinct to help you survive when a predator is watching you, hunting you? Trust that feeling; it may be the difference between life
Breyer House: The Ouija Experiment Read More »
The frigid November air entering through the window contrasted sharply with the humid heat under my mask, caused by my rapid and uneven breathing. My hands fidgeted with a button on my coat sleeve, while my leg made a rhythmic thumping sound as it jutted up and down from the
I found a thumb drive in my basement 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
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 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
Curiosity isn’t always a good thing. I once thought discovering everything the world had to offer was my true passion. It turns out though some things are best left alone. I always had an interest in the unknown and the unexplained. Mysteries were what I enjoyed most and the darker
Some urban legends have a way of weaving themselves into communities like a sparkling accent. When I was a substantially younger man, our favorite local tale was the Grapevine Angel story. A crumbling and weathered concrete angel stood vigil in Grapevine Cemetary over the grave of someone whose name had
The booming knock on the door was deafening as it echoed throughout the house. Having just arrived home, the sound startled Alan Holloway while he casually threw his coat on a nearby chair. Recently divorced after catching his wife cheating, Alan now lives alone, completely consumed by his work as
The Affliction Box Read More »
There is a statue my family has retained ownership of and cared for during many centuries. Supposedly it is of a great grand relative of some type who helped establish our family’s wealth by forgotten means, and who helped establish the regional government. Whatever entire significance the important figure had
“Did you get it?” Tommy asked, his eyes bulging with excitement. Michael lookedbetween his two friends, a smug smile spread across his face. “You didn’t get it,” Andy said, ever doubtful. “No way you got it.” “Shut up. Mikey wouldn’t lie,” Tommy barked, his tongue lisping on the word “shut.”
Eldritch Sleepover Read More »
I never understood why my father brought it home with him. I was entering college at the time and the week before I departed on my seven-hour car ride to Maine, my dad went on a hiking trip to one of our state parks. I often went with him as
Curse of the Bear Paw Read More »
The following has been pieced together from primary and secondary sources found across Los Angeles County and elsewhere in California: Lawrence Clement (1870 – 1913) was a second-generation immigrant of France to the United States, and the subject of a rather interesting tale about photography. He was the quintessential underappreciated
Lawrence Clement and the Ferguson Room Read More »
A young, dark blond woman with a backpack checked the list of stores in her hand. Of the seven names, she crossed out four. She checked her phone for directions to the antique store Gifts of Old. She put her phone away and read the back of the paper, a
It was midnight, and Sam Kessler was trying to believe that he was alone. He crouched against a cold tile floor and peeked out from cracked blinds, staring into the impenetrable snowstorm outside. There was nothing, no life or sound, except for the shrieking wind and the creaking of naked
Dear Thomas, Know this – I love you brother. I’m not sure what you will find waiting for you on the kitchen counter besides this notebook. Hopefully nothing. But it wouldn’t hurt to check the floor to make sure a finger or two hasn’t rolled under the counter. You and
The Kitchen Drawer Read More »
Felix’s dulled reflection on the computer screen yawned, eyes half closed as he watched the screen turn blue, then black, then a bright, searing white. He groaned, stretching across the table and unplugging the desktop computer, counting to ten under his breath before plugging it back in, and waiting for
