I awoke to the sound of my phone buzzing on the bedside table. “Hello?” I said, groggily. “You’re that paranormal hunter, right?” I had the website changed, new business cards made up, and even sunk some money into an ad campaign. Still, all callers insisted on referring to me as […]
When I turned sixteen, my Dad gave me a book. The leather cover was so old and worn that I couldn’t even read the title. “This was given to me by your grandpa,” he said. “Forgot to go out and get you something, so I thought I’d just give you
I’ll start this account by admitting I was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the early 1970’s. I joined as a volunteer in the South Down Brigade in late 1971 and was active along the border up until my arrest and conviction in 1975. I make no
Something happened in an Irish border town that was kept out of the history books Read More »
My hometown is residence to a large, and long abandoned, psychiatric hospital. Its official name was the Johnathan H. Murnow Regional Psychiatric Hospital (named after the founder). Everyone else that didn’t work there called it “Murnow’s Mental Hospital.” It’s the same story as any large hospital in the U.S. that
I Witnessed the Birth of Something Unholy Read More »
Every day, the same client visits in different forms, and every day this metamorphic changeling wishes to have his or her head rubbed, hair played with, or to be read to. When will it be enough? When my fingers are worn down to the knuckles? When I refuse to drink
An Afternoon Appointment Read More »
My mother died suddenly and unexpectantly sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning. The coroner said she suffered a massive stroke and her death would have been instantaneous. This brought me some small comfort, knowing that she hadn’t suffered in the end. I was the one who found her.
Confessions of a Belfast Cop Read More »
From a young age I always knew I would become a soldier. I was born into an upper-class family with a proud military tradition. My grandfather was wounded at the Somme, and my father served under Montgomery in North Africa. It was always expected that I would follow in their
How much does fame and fortune cost? That’s a question that ate at me for years, and a question that I, unfortunately, found the answer to. Now modest wealth and even minor fame alone are much less costly. You can achieve that from commitment and hard work to something that
How Much Does Fame and Fortune Cost? I Found The Answer. Read More »
The dirt road was rougher than expected. I could feel the aluminum rims of the courtesy vehicle punching potholes through the thin layer of rubber on the low-profile tires. Maureen’s house was definitely what you’d call backwoods. Another loud thump from the rear of the minivan and I could see
Used Truck For Sale Read More »
The Settlement of SaultonSometime in the 1800s “Keep walking, boy.” The deep, mysterious voice kept replaying over and over in his head. He did as it told him though, not once questioning any motive. He wasn’t sure where he was, or who the voice belonged to, but he did know
The Milk Boy: A Prelude the The Whool Read More »
It did not dawn on me for an eternity that it was my fault it happened. It seemed unconnected, unimportant, something not even to waste my lonely time to think about. Now it is the only thing I can think about because I am reminded every time I see him.
I hold with the pillow around my head so she won’t hear me crying, and to block out the whispering.We moved out of the city a month ago; an old detached house in the suburbs was all I can afford now after paying for her treatment. Thin wooden walls make
My son, Richie, was almost 3 years old with beautifully thick and curly brown hair that seemed to hang in place flawlessly without any serious effort. He was a growing, healthy, and happy child, with a rapidly developing vocabulary, as any parent would hope for. That, however, was before Frank
A Demon Named Frank Read More »
Today marks my fortieth birthday on this Earth, and rather than contemplating how to deal with the typical, mid-life crisis, I’m deciding whether or not my time here has ended. It’s sort of a family curse; For as long back as my family tree stretches, the men of the family
For months, I caught glimpses of Claira from the safety of my cubical. So beautiful, faultless. Through innocent eavesdropping and pattern recall, I unknowingly learned almost every detail of her life; when she had lunch, who her friends were, and where she would be at any given moment of the
I Followed Her Home Read More »
August 4th, 1983; my mother is killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver. The intoxicated individual took a turn onto an off ramp and floored it down the wrong side of the highway. It was the dead of night, and at 1:37 a.m., this drunkard collided with my
My Mother’s Death Still Haunts Me Read More »
Jobs come and go. That’s part of the beauty of living in America – you can change jobs freely if you aren’t happy. It’s a luxury not everyone in the world has. For years and years, my life was consumed by business – retail, specifically. It wasn’t my plan…I sort
I Picked the Wrong Profession Read More »
My grandfather never spent that much time with me, growing up. When I heard the news of his passing, all I could muster was a tone of indifference in the form of empty condolences. My lack of sympathy turned to guilt when I heard he left me everything he owned.
My Grandfather’s Ouija Board Read More »
“The water is perfect at this time of night.” Shana lifted her long, white dress over her thin shoulders and dipped under the cool depths of Lake Diamond. “Don’t be such a baby, Freeman. We didn’t come out here at two AM for nothing.“ She smiled when she spoke. I
I Met Someone Who Makes Me Feel Seasick Read More »
There I was, scratching my ninth scratch-off ticket in a row at my local convenience store. My eyes widened with hope, but also sank in with the anticipation of disappointment. The other eight representations of my gambling fuel rested in pieces inside the store’s waste bin. Revealing each number using
The Cat With Human Teeth Read More »
We were at the bar for Connor’s twenty-second birthday when the world first began to fall apart. It started with an absurdly small detail; I ordered two Blue Moons for us like always, but he picked the orange slice off the rim of his glass with a frown. I looked
Dating sucks as an adult. The only way to meet new people is either on the internet or in a bar, and I’m not comfortable trying to start a relationship with someone I’ve come across in either of those scenarios. At 28 years old, not being romantically interested in any
The Hazards of Dating Read More »
Every city claims to have them, and every city will tell you that theirs is the best. Most larger places will lay claim to having quite a few. I am of course speaking of secret bars. The kind of bars with no name out front, where a secret password is
In my hometown, there is a unique shop of oddities called “HexWorks” that I frequent. It’s an old-world boutique that specializes in niche products that I’d describe as being vintage-style with a modern spin. Their items include cloaks, pocket watches, lapels, bizarre art prints, lavish jewelry, and Victorian
Never Use Cheat Codes on a Ouija Board Read More »
