I never believed in magic until I met Tommy Naughton. The first time I saw him was in my eleventh-grade English class at Ridley High in 2001. He looked odd, with his gapped-up haircut and baggy clothing. He always smelled like sour sweat—ugh! He rarely made eye contact, never spoke […]
The Disappearing Boy Read More »
It was one of those stormy nights during my summer trip in the tropics when I stumbled upon that old tunnel. It was the longest and scariest night of my life. I did not think I would ever get out of that forest alive. I was badly injured, weather-beaten and
The Creek of A Thousand Corpses Read More »
“Your job…your sole life responsibility for the rest of your natural life is to keep that door shut….always! The house is yours…you can do what you want with it regarding restoration or upgrades. But, you need to live here until the day you die. I inherited it from my grandfather.
HALLOWEEN ADVENT CANDLEDAR Burn one a day till Halloween.Discover what it truly means.Don’t peek ahead at future labels.Savor all, if you are able… – THE CHTHONIC CANDLE COMPANY So read the note enclosed with thirty-one tiny candles, sent in a massive box with no logo. The creators of my Candledar
“He is approaching,” I said. “Should I stay or leave?”“Stay, Bridgett, I’m frightened as never before,” Hope answered. “But say nothing, lest you become involved as well.” We drew away from the small, frosted windows of our cottage and awaited Jonathan Harding’s knock.When I first heard the vile rumors concerning
Shall Not Suffer a Witch to Live Read More »
It was in the late 80’s, a few years before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. I lived in Moscow where I studied Archaeology. I had a roommate from Tbilisi in Georgia (the country – which refers to itself as Kartvelia – , not the US State). Every couple weeks
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a number of well-intentioned people in my general orbit comment that they’ve noticed a large uptick in the amount of alcohol that I’ve been consuming. That’s a fancy way of saying that I’ve been drinking myself into a stupor every night. Now,
Part 1 Part 2 “The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.”H.P. Lovecraft * * * * * * * * Why shall I die in seven days’ time? I killed a man out of mercy, but justice, being its opposite, has
The Eternal Stranger Read More »
A rattled knob echoed throughout the lifeless space. It traveled across a family-less living room, bounced around the cabinets of a foodless kitchen, and wandered down a dark hallway to a sleepless bedroom. It rattled again, a stubborn old key and an even older lock. Then finally the teeth finally
Part 1 “We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity,and it was not meant that we should voyage far.” —H.P. Lovecraft Why did I slay one Abraham Andrew Allerton, Doctor of Psychiatry? It wasn’t a case of an eye for an eye
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Schalach cast the seed in smooth arcs across the lightly tilled fields as he walked at a steady, measured pace. At every fifth step, he dipped the smooth, well-worn cup into the pouch slung across his shoulder. This was his family’s job for the village, and he was the only
There is an antique shop somewhere in the heart of Quiapo, known only to a few, and appears only to those with a desperate need for something. It is said that inside, you’ll find things that will grant your desires – if you’re willing to take the risk. The shop
Quiapo’s Shop of Horrors Read More »
I had been friends on Facebook with a girl for many years. We hardly talked but it was always fun to see her content. Her posts would center around her trips to the beach, which was a weekend ritual. I won’t lie, she was pretty—no, wait, beautiful. Okay, I was
My Strange Ability Read More »
THE FIRST DIRECTIVE Obey and serve only the One Mind.– Manual of Directives and Subdirectives At ten your head is shaved. At twenty you are assigned your new designation and role. You’re no longer a child. At thirty you’re evaluated for Marital and Parental Fitness. If you pass, you do
The hammering from upstairs shook the walls of his bedroom. James Ricco leapt from his bed, the thought of earthquakes at the back of his mind. He glanced at his window and the sunlight streaming through. It was a spring day on Staten Island that suggested planting perennials and backyard
The Unusual Companion Read More »
Claire stood by the door, the room barely lit by a few tall candles, waiting simply for the door to open once more. Staring out the aged cylinder glass window she wished she could be part of the preparations deeper in the ancient house, but there was a hierarchy here
I remember the day, not too long ago, that I stood in front of my brand new home. After the year-long headache of the over-budget and over-delayed build process, I finally held the keys to the castle of my 11.4-acre Kingdom. The exhaust note from the contractor’s truck finally faded,
New Houses can be Haunted Too, Here’s My Story Read More »
My wife had always been a sound sleeper. She never snored, talked in her sleep, nor was she particularly restless. Oftentimes, she’d wake up in the same position she passed out in with barely a wrinkle in the sheets around her. When the singing in the middle of the night
Hello there, my name is Katie; I found this community because I have a story to tell, and I think it’s one you will appreciate. I’m forty, and I have lived in a small town near New Orleans for my entire life. I’m very well known and respected in the
Money talks. Always has. That’s what brought me to the Syndicate after all. I was fresh off the force, facing eviction, just sort of wandering without direction. I had applied to any job I figured a guy like me could get my hands on. Security guard for a bank, bodyguard
The Alpha Syndicate: The Shifting Sands Read More »
“There is nothing in the thetan, past or future.” – George M. Witek, “Lucifer’s Bridge” FIRST comes the coronation. Off comes my hair. The Crown will come later. Second, the washing and shaving of my body. Third, the bleaching of my skin. This takes a long time and it hurts
“Is this quest enough to sustain you? Is this accumulation of curses really worthwhile? Has everything progressed perfectly, with no loss or sorrow?” Not so, for me. – Creepypasta, “The Holder of Remorse” I’M ALMOST THERE. I’m so close I could taste it. I hold 518 of 538 Objects. Every
Have you ever been driving down a familiar road and notice a landmark that stands out to you? In the city you know where you are by the intersection or by your favorite stores and coffee shops. However things are a little different on country roads. When driving down an
WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME, everything changed. Small towns rebuilt themselves into boisterous cities overnight. Weary farmers and their wives glowed with renewed vigor. Life was transformed from a series of dull scenes into the greatest show on earth. George, Hal, Peter, and Ronnie came to watch it on April 29,
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