I sleep with my window closed now. Not out of habit, out of fear. There are monsters in the world, real ones. Serial killers, rapists, the kinds of things we can name and lock up. But the supernatural? That’s different. It’s older. Quieter. Easier to keep secret. It hides in […]
I Sleep With My Window Closed Now Read More »
After it all happened, I could never explain just what about the little wooden jewelry box had caught my eye. It was simple and unornamented. When questioned about what was inside it, Maggie, the antique shop’s keeper, hesitated before speaking. “That’s a collection of old silver, mostly jewelry and coins.”
All the riches in the world Read More »
More likely than not, you won’t think I’m real. You’ll catch a glimpse of something moving in the dark after waking up in the middle of the night. Usually from a nightmare. In the middle of your room, or wherever you happen to be sleeping, you’ll see someone dancing by
Please Let Me Stay Read More »
My stomach rumbled as we approached the edge of the woods. It was nearly midday, but I hadn’t eaten in hours. Supply troubles and nerves had left me with little food and next to no appetite. A combination that was less than ideal heading into my first taste of combat.
The Arm of Antietam Read More »
1 – The Train I can’t say why I was chosen to ride the shadowlands express. Why me, and not the countless others who have sinned during their mortal lives? Perhaps all will be forced to face their demons in the end – I can’t say for sure. But clearly
The Shadowlands Express Read More »
When Jacob Housley turned up dead, it didn’t take long for me to hear about it. Just about everyone knew everyone, back in the old town, and I was more than familiar with the Housleys. Well, I used to be, anyway. Jacob was one of my fathers closest friends–almost an
“Jesus Christ!!!!” Penny coughed as the dust swirled up around her feet. She looked around the attic, wondering who would keep all this stuff lying around. Just within her field of view, she could see old boots, a mannequin in a faded black dress, and an old chest with several
What was lost in the fire Read More »
The envelope was thick, cream-colored, and addressed to me in elegant, unfamiliar script. It arrived on a day like any other – a Tuesday, rain slicking the windows of our tiny apartment, the air inside smelling faintly of stale cooking and damp laundry. Lily was colouring at the chipped Formica
Her Horrific Inheritance Read More »
Only in the spiraling depths of the infinite shades of black behind my eyelids do I ever feel at peace. The near constant pressure behind my eyes fades, and the constant weight that bears down on my shoulders eases. And it is here, in the garage of the old asylum,
My favourite teacher at high school was Graham Milner. He was my Head of Year throughout the five years I was there and taught me for Religious Education in Year 9. At that point, I had little interest in RE or any of the humanities subjects and had in fact
Mr. Milner’s Ghost Story Read More »
My family has an odd history of tragedy—at least, that’s what my grandma would always say.“It comes in waves; it comes when it wants to,” she would ominously say, but we all knew she was superstitious and generally odd. According to my mom, who has a much-strained relationship with her,
It screams when it doesn’t whisper Read More »
“My dear, are you awake?” Nikki Chambers had fallen asleep on her best friend’s tombstone when she heard those strange words from a woman with an airy, almost velvety voice. She lifted her head from the granite to see the woman’s low vamp, tawny slippers, and flowing green skirt. She
Follow the Green Lady Read More »
Paramedics are incredibly superstitious. It’s surprising how much people will argue with me about this simple fact. “Oh, definitely not. They’re too reasonable, too smart, too calm in a crisis to engage with something as irrational as superstitions.” Some will even fight with me about it, for an absurd amount
Colt was only thirteen years old when he rowed as fast as he could away from Benji and Caleb, the most menacing boys in Troop 0172. It was the dead of night and only the faint orange moonlight lit the narrow path for Colt’s tiny canoe, which was starting to
On one dark, foggy morning a news station began the daily evening broadcast to Sevier County, a low-population area in the middle of nowhere. It began with a poppy intro song, canned footage of various county locales, and fast-forwarded time lapses of the weather. When the intro wrapped up, the
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 »
Ten people. Ten people in ten different places doing ten different things, but all sharing one single thought… “What if it really works?” You see, in our little town of Sawnhurst, California, there was an age old tradition tied to a myth so old that is origins were not remembered
Halloween is supposed to be a day of joy and happiness. However, Halloween in this small village, which I visited few weeks ago, has a different story. In October, I visited a tiny village located in Scotland. I was actually not interested in going there, but a thing brought me
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My first job was at a gas station in the town of Redwood in the midwest. It’s been my home town now for going on forty years. It’s not a town like most towns you see. We have a city hall/police department/fire department, Forest Joe’s the gas station, a bar,
When Jade was only twelve-years-old, her father came home one afternoon with his arms and legs covered in claw marks. Jade felt confused and excited about his appearance. While she didn’t like seeing her dad hurt, she wondered if he finally bought her the cat or dog she wanted. He
Buried in Hanging Hills Read More »
HAVE YOU EVER bargained with a ghost? We’re going to. We’re not supposed to be here, but none of us could resist the chance to sneak into the Durgee House on Halloween. At 3 AM, no less. It helps that Alex’s father is the caretaker. All Alex had to do
Lives in the Balance Read More »
The great man was dying. Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the phonograph, motion picture camera and electrical light bulb laid in his bed in West Orange, New Jersey his life slowly flickering out. After years of failing health, he had recently slipped into a diabetic coma and at age eighty-three,
Spirits in the Night Read More »
I was eighteen at the time. I’d just graduated high school, and what was probably a really exciting and memorable time for most people was a stressful race against time for me. You see, my dad was very traditional; if I were going to be living in his house after
Memories of the Graveyard Shift Read More »
Sanity is the ancient lie, it’s a lie old as consciousness. Sanity is our imagined common denominator, that nonexistent place we are said to converge. Insanity is as real as anything else. Consider what goes on in the privacy of your mind. How often does reality cease to measure up?
The Thinning House Read More »
