Hey, hey! Welcome back; come on in! The rain is pouring, and the fire is roaring; soon as we saw those storm clouds, we doubled the wood supply. It can do this all week, I’m just glad the snow is gone. … … You bet, friend – we’ve been watching […]
The Last Settlement Read More »
When I first saw the stranger, he was standing in front of Lester McCreed’s house. The stranger was dressed simply enough—overalls, a plaid shirt, a brown cap, and one of those surgical masks you see everywhere nowadays. I couldn’t see his hands on account of the thick, rawhide gloves he
When a Rooster Crows Read More »
I’m probably signing my own death warrant by writing this account. I know for a fact that I’m breaking at least a dozen federal laws with penalties that could send me to prison for the rest of my life. But jail time is the least of my worries. I fully
I’ve traveled to parallel universes. The worlds I’ve seen are terrifying Read More »
It’s about time! Where have you been? Get inside, you can explain by the fire. Trish! Ethan! Look who’s still breathing! … … Of course we knew you didn’t die here – we’d have heard about that immediately – but it’s a dangerous world out there… … … … Hey,
The Dying Settlement Read More »
“Have you ever heard about the curse of Snake McQuinn?” I switched the beam from my flashlight off. It was Halloween night, and sure enough, there were some kids trespassing in Farmer Huxley’s old hay barn. I’m the sheriff in Walnut Brook, and it wasn’t the first time the old
The Curse of Snake McQuinn Read More »
Hullo! Looks like these flurries will be another blizzard soon. Come on, let’s get you to the cabin before you freeze over. When this storm blew in, I knew you must be on the way. We’re thrilled to have you back with us so close to Christmas! … It’s no
The Cursed Settlement Read More »
Ooo weee, come in, come in! I’m glad you’re here early; it’s shaping up to be a bad one out there. The wind has a bite even I can feel. We might have a blizzard on our hands in a few hours. Make yourself comfortable, I’ve had a fire going
The Settlements Continue Read More »
Hello there! Look what the cat dragged… oh my! Are you alright?! Hurry, get inside! … You need to get here earlier if you’re gonna pay regular visits! Just because you’re safe inside doesn’t mean you can be roaming around outside all willy-nilly. Judging by the mud on your clothes,
The Growing Settlements Read More »
Looky here! Trish! Ethan! Our friend is back! Shame it had to be another cold, stormy night like this. Just once I’d like to enjoy some company under the warm sun, but I guess that’s not how this place works. … Goodness, where are my manners? Come on in here
The New Settlements Read More »
Welcome, friend. Come on in, it’s storming out there. We’ve lost power, but it’s dry and warm inside. Grab a blanket and join us by the fire before you freeze, we got plenty of room. It’s not safe to be wandering around in the dark. Not out here where the
The First Settlement Read More »
1940, it was the era of World War 2. I was a pilot and had been in action in squadron 78 in the RAF for about 3 years. I flew mostly Spitfires and I fought in Dunkirk. But something went wrong with my plane on an evening in France in
November 11, 1918 9:00 am The war was coming to an end and Heinrich knew it. The Yankees had gotten involved and the once great German Empire was surrounded on all sides; prime for invasion. The Russians had been defeated, but German forces couldn’t continue without food or supplies that
Ghost of the Trenches Read More »
Every other weekend I make it a habit of mine to visit Janine’s Mercantile, an indoor flea market located on the outskirts of the town I have called home my whole life. Summershore, Wyoming. Whoever named this town must’ve had a great sense of humor, too bad it doesn’t keep
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, huge numbers of formerly classified government documents were made available to the public for the first time. Such was the glut of these documents that even now, many of them have yet to be fully translated into English by historians and
This is Not a Place of Honor Read More »
I had been a forty nine-er and a lucky one at that. Having made a small fortune in gold, that is to say, enough to put a substantial stake in a successful shipping business, my stock had risen and I was then a man who could spend time at leisure.
“Can I tell you a story Boss?” The kindly old man that I knew as Harvey Abberline had asked me in a distant and almost wistful tone in that distinct foreign accent of his that I guessed was from somewhere in the United Kingdom on the very last day he
The Monster of Nobel Coffee and Tea 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 »
When I was a kid, I never really knew my grandfather Karl. Not only was he an ocean away, living in his home country while I grew up American, he had died a few years before I was born, nixing any chance of a meet up. Grandma kept his house
My grandpa served in both World Wars. He died dozens of times. Read More »
Beware, beware the creature’s eye She feeds from fear deep in your mind The words were carved into the cover of the disfigured leather journal. Remnants of arson gnawed on the edges of its half-burnt spine, and traces of murder stained the once freshly cut birch pages; to the stench
The roaring twenties became a different time for all of America as the economy took a massive plummet. The depression sank about every industry like a stone and families of every class felt the impact. Throughout the Hoovervilles set up around Riverbend, there was one man who seemed prosperous despite
The Legend of Carter Bale Read More »
Awash with terror, I lay in bed jumping and flinching at every creak. The old country house had always made such noises at night. The beams would creak, the windows would knock and the wind would howl down the fireplace. I had not always been so afraid of these sounds,
News From the Front Read More »
After a short time of exploring the Oklahoma territory where they were forced to go, a group of Native Americans stumbled upon a mysterious plant while hunting. This plant looked like a gnarled tree root, with so many twists and turns within its seemingly fragile length that one could barely
The Roots of Wewoka Cemetery Read More »
One of my least favorite parts about being a middle school history teacher is the bullshit “Living History” assignments we give at the end of every school year. Kids are supposed to sit with their grandparents and video tape, voice record, or transcribe their oldest memories for posterity (and for
The Living History Project Read More »
Part 1 I was nineteen years old in the late summer of 1997 when my maternal grandfather suddenly became ill and passed away. He was seventy-two years old. In the span of only five short but grueling weeks, he was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, went
