I am certain that my fascination with the gone and forgotten stems from my own fear of impermanence. Leaving something behind when I am gone is of utmost importance to me, so I have dedicated my life to preserving and sharing the legacies and lives of others who have passed. […]
Mr Conrad’s Final Tale Read More »
Most people in North Carolina had heard of the Reed mine by 1831. The story of the boy who found a yellow rock the size of a smoothing iron had already strained the patience of preachers and tavern keepers alike. They repeated it often, their voices rising with the part
A dusty hardwood bank in the middle of a no-name, tumbleweed town is shaken by the shockwaves of gunfire and screams. A rough, calloused young man in simple attire runs out of the bank and mounts his skinny nag, smoking revolver in one hand, sack of cash in the other.
I stand on the beach, watching the great waves of the Southern Ocean roll toward me like endless rows of undulating beasts, their white crests sparkling blindingly under the harsh July sun. The briny scent of the sea drifts upward, carrying with it that familiar ache of melancholy, a feeling
Into The Mangrove Forest Read More »
The Brooks Brother’s Hardware store stood alone on its main street block. Chipped layers of white-washed paint contrasted the darkness inside the tall narrow windows. Faded posters advertising Case knives and hand tools hung in the ground level windows, but the only thing in the second story windows, was a
Brooks Brother’s Hardware Store Read More »
I felt it that day, something in the air wasn’t right. The morning heat was setting in, and the bugs were eating us alive. The men were tense as the sun rose on another godforsaken day. We had been up on nightwatch and hadn’t had a moment of proper rest
Things Best Left Buried Read More »
I was born on a small cabbage farm just outside of Racine, Wisconsin on April 14, 1900. The lone son of two God-fearing German immigrants, I was raised on hard work, religious reverence, and teetotalism.My parents first moved to the United States in August of 1898 with the hopes of
In the direct aftermath of World War II, two major meetings among world leaders were held: the Yalta Conference and the Potsdam Conference. We view these meetings now with hindsight and the knowledge that they would go on to shape the post-war world order. What is not widely known is
THE HARRIMAN FILES: 1945 [DECLASSIFIED 1987] Read More »
The Topkapi Palace was alight with the celebratory shouts of the governors, generals, and janissaries though none was heard so loudly as Sultan Mehmed II for his great Ottoman Empire had finally felled their greatest Christian enemy, that terrible heir to the Order of the Dragon, Vlad III. The expansive
Read Part One here We both drove back to the station and handed in our gear and changed. I could still smell the faint odor clinging to my uniform. I suppressed the urge to gag as I threw it back into my locker without any finesse, just wanting to get
Just Another Summer in ‘95 Part Two Read More »
I want to say this happened in the early summer when our park was full of hikers, campers, and tourists. Montana had its beauty in those summer months, so I couldn’t blame them.A lot of the tourists hadn’t spent a day camping or even been backpacking. A lot of them
Just Another Summer in ‘95 Read More »
Let me just begin by saying that even though I’m not the biggest computer geek in the world, or by any means what you would refer to as an “iPad Kid”, being grounded sucks. Having my phone and Xbox taken away wasn’t the worst part of being grounded. However, it
The Reenactors in my Town are Acting Strange Read More »
On August 20, 1968, the armies of the countries forming the Warsaw Pact, primarily led by the Soviet Union, invaded Czechoslovakia less than an hour before midnight. Three hours later, I watched my village, the only world that I knew, burn. The invasion of my home country didn’t last long.
The Church of the Clockwork God Read More »
Walker McCoy was the measure of how stubborn the dead could be. He was buried at twenty-two feet in some nowhere prairie just outside of Greer County on October 4th 1867. Two days later, a group of Indians found his severed arm—identifiable only by a trashy signet ring. That limb
You can only bury the dead so deep Read More »
Adventure. Adventure is what I craved. I wanted to gain the fruits of life that I had so long been denied in my youth—and, in those days, those fruits could be found and plucked in the American West. But if I had a hint of what would happen to me
The Yellow-Eyed Devils Read More »
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 »
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 »
I remember the first time I saw the Mourne Mountains in the mist. It was a Friday, just after the rain had passed, and the clouds were still clinging to the peaks like a shroud over a corpse. I was young then, just fifteen, but already too familiar with the
Midnight at the mountains of Mourne Read More »
The following are pages taken from the journal of Andrei Bucur found buried under the church of a lost village in Romania. April 17, 1479 It has been a long journey but at last our company of settlers have found the lands we have been searching for. We have found
There’s a trail that leads out of Leadville, Colorado, raised like a railroad on high banks. It leads to what remains of Oro City, a true 1860s-era ghost town from the gold rush days. The elevated nature of the trail allows visitors to look down on dilapidated cabins, storage buildings,
First I would like to begin by extending my eternal gratitude to you for reaching out to me with a genuine open mind. So many have come to me after I had ceased in my search for someone who will listen, but all have been naught but seekers of wealth
A Letter From Dundee Lunatic Asylum Read More »
I’ve waited over twenty-five years to tell my story. I could have taken it to my grave, but I wish to unburden myself before I meet my maker. I’m not much longer for this world you see. Years of heavy smoking have caught up with me, and the cancer has
The Wall, the Gunman, and the Banshee Read More »
Two years after his passing, my husband’s grave still remained adorned with jewelry and flowers. Sasaki Tomonaga’s final resting place had become so decorated, one may believe him to be a noble instead of a lowly gokenin. He will always and forever be remembered for protecting our village from utter
The Horrors of Kiyohime Read More »
Hello, dear reader, whoever you may be. If you are reading this document, it is likely that I have been dead for quite some time. By the time you are reading this, I suspect that you have gone through my other belongings, and you must then be aware of at
The Brazilian Blood Trials Read More »
