All great writers claim to suffer from insomnia at least once in their lives, although I’m sure a bulk of them misuse the term and glorify the disorder. After all, all artists “struggle” and it seems that lack of sleep runs common among those who strive to hammer out the […]
The Lights in the House Below Read More »
Before you read or listen to this, make sure you are alone. If you are in a room, close the door. If you are by a window, look outside and make sure there is no one there. The only way others should know about this story is by reading it,
The Man Who Looked Down Read More »
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 »
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
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 »
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
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
“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
No one knows that my affluent aunt bequeathed me her favorite thing in the world, the beach house she bought many years ago on the Florida Panhandle. I’ve been renting it out for years actually, though I haven’t visited it since I was a kid. She knew how much I
The Guestbook of Elysium Read More »
Most of the information known about these spirits is unsurprisingly dubious at best, as the survivors have often been paranoid to the extent of insanity. From what I have seen, the commonalities of past victims include staying within the light, becoming terrified of any unexpected noise, and jumping at merely
It is estimated that at any given moment, somewhere between 5 and 10 percent of what is in your field of sight is shadow. Darkness. Isolation. The Unknown. Imagine how it would be to live in these stagnated, dreary parts? In that crevice between the bookshelf and the wall, that
I remember it as clear as if it was yesterday, although it’s been several years. Back then we were all so naive, believing ourselves to be alone in the universe. Some even went as far as to say we were at the peaceful center of it. But that day, everything
While I’m writing this letter, I don’t really know what I should write. I mean that I’m not sure if I’m going to wake up tomorrow, so I can’t decide if it should become a sort of my testament. My final goodbye to everyone I knew, whether they’re going to
It wasn’t long ago I noticed a strange noise coming from the air conditioning unit, in the wall of the living room. At first it was almost imperceptible from the other noises such a device would typically make. It started out as a slight clanking sound, only when it was
“Doctor Tabitha Lebarr, recording the story given to us during the psychiatric evaluation of David Shore, May 15th, 2013. Patient was admitted for treatment of what appeared to be an attempt to amputate his legs. It is worth noting that Shore is himself a psychologist, but appears to be currently
The Effects of Fear Read More »
Don’t look up at the mirror. You know how that always goes. They look up at the mirror and it’s right there behind them. Just stare down and turn the sink handle. Reach over for the towel. No, whatever you just felt isn’t there, bring your hand back, you don’t
This is another entry in the Modern Monsters series. So I heard you wanted to hear the story of the Donkey Lady? Well, grab a beer; you’re in for a tale. It started back in the eighties, in a little town outside of San Antonio, Texas. I was a senior
I didn’t ask for this, you know. I mean, sure, I was curious about what it would mean to be “enlightened,” but meditation was never a means to end. It was the end itself. Plus, I always thought you had to be in a state of complete detachment in order
This is the sixth and final part of the By the Fire’s Light series. Names we give have power As we discovered too late For we have named the nameless one And thus have sealed our fate. Our time has come full circle, And now we have the end Of
Nowadays, if you are fanatical Christian, you are mostly likely looked down upon by society. People are absolutely disgusted by your ways and your desire to spread your religion to others. As a teenager, you could get out-casted by the other kids because they wish to believe that being anything
This is part five in the By the Fire’s Light series. Mira Grolinsky sat at her desk in the hotel room sorting through stacks of paper. A biographer by trade, she was used to gathering large amounts of information and then synthesizing it into one coherent package. What she was
It was nearing midnight, and the air was rapidly cooling. It was silent but for the few cars passing by, and the wind rustling trees. I looked around outside once more before shutting the front door and bolting it. I turned off the hall light and made my way upstairs.
I guess you could say I’m writing this as a cautionary tale to those who plan on studying abroad in future. I don’t mean to discourage you from going in the first place, it’s more like I just want you to be aware of this so that something like this doesn’t happen to you too.
When I was a kid, my family and I lived in a modest house in West Virginia. As I said, it was quite small and there was a large forest behind my house. I was pretty curious, as any small child is and so I’d always find myself asking to
