I sipped the fruity wine, hoping it would help to calm my nerves. It had been a long time since I had last been on a date, and I didn’t want it to be too obvious. I let my eyes wander the room of the small pub, taking in the
It’s What’s Inside That Counts Read More »
As soon as Paul Anderson walked into Bennett’s Bait and Tackle, I immediately thought of the homemade missing persons sign stapled on the corkboard by the bathroom, constructed with the hope of it aiding in finding his missing son. Then my mind drifted to an image of the poorly written
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 »
There are days I wish I had done something to save Jeremy Tillman. It’s been twenty years, and it all started with the beta for Hushlands. Jeremy Tillman was one year senior, and we used to collaborate frequently, both of us being game designers. Actually, my career began with him,
If you enjoy the outdoors, then hiking is probably included in your favorite activities. After all, spending time in nature is one of the most pleasant, even therapeutic, things to do. Walking around with your friends or family while exploring mountains and new pathways is usually associated with relaxation. However,
5 Haunted Hiking Trails Where Mystery is Waiting to be Encountered Read More »
“Darkness had no need of aid from them-She was the Universe.” -Lord Byron I had a dream in young childhood, and in this dream, I saw the myriad evils of man. Terrorism, murder, rape, violent bigotry, and the scathing hatred that a thousand years or so of the antiseptic “morality”
“Delta squad, clear that building!” The command ripped from Tim Brinley’s throat, echoing through the blistering desert air, a phrase so familiar to him it was more reflex than speech. This was his second deployment, and he knew with weary certainty it would be his last. The monotony of military
A lot of questions have been asked of me lately by many different parties. My parents want to know why I almost refuse to leave the house anymore. My doctor wants to know what has been causing my insomnia. The police want to know my whereabouts and actions on the
The Wood Witch’s Ritual Read More »
Every tradition and ritual has origins. Many of them date back to ancient times and have surprisingly survived for centuries. Considering that during these times there were no organized religions and science was, obviously, less developed, the rituals had meanings that now would not make sense. However, in some countries
5 Creepy Rituals Around the World that Still Remain Today Read More »
This was in the early 2000s. A group of marine biologists, myself included, were in the Philippine Sea to study the effects of global warming on local marine wildlife. This was exciting to me for two reasons. One is that I was born in the Philippines and never had the
Lucy was good at hide-and-seek. Maybe even the best. Other children were always hiding in the most obvious places—a closet, under the car, behind the sofa. But Lucy knew better spots. She hid in the shadows, almost in plain sight, where the seekers’ eyes simply failed to deliver the message
1 – The Rosebud I wake up to sunlight.A heavy, warm stripe of it is lying across my face, the kind that comes through high windows in the late afternoon. It is bright enough that it forces my eyes open, and for a moment I don’t know where I am.
The Tuscan villa was a postcard come to life, a sprawling stone residence nestled among rolling hills thick with cypress trees and the silvery-green olive groves. For Tom and Linda Patterson, a middle school teacher and an office manager, and their friends Mark and Jennifer Walsh, a retail manager and
Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I was no stranger to roaming the woods. Ever since I can remember, I have been out in the woods building forts or terrorizing the small creek frogs I so desperately wanted to catch. I lived right next to a thick collection of
In general, forests are full of mystery. Even in fictional tales, they are often depicted as the main setting where all the scary things occur. Despite multiple forests with an eerie reputation, Canadian people tend to be brave enough to go camping and be curious about upcoming adventures. Considering Canada’s
5 Haunted Canadian Forests For an Exciting Eerie Adventure Read More »
She stopped as her legs ached from hours of walking. She had come far. Very far. The day and night seemed to intertwine; never being distinct if there could be said to be a circadian movement in the subtly shifting grey above at all. There did seem to be very
His heavy corpse clings to her back like an undesirable cloak. His rotting flesh melting into her pores, moulding itself to her structure. She used to be able to peel his skin away with her finger tips but now she must use a pair of blunt scissors she carries in
Love is but a knife we sear ourselves with Read More »
In the darkest parts of man’s subconscious lies the understanding that existence is two phased. What most don’t recognize is the space between being and not. Between the spaces of life exists a world where the veil has been skewed to the point of dissolution. Every time that something goes
The Ignorant Canary Read More »
The house is bigger than I expected. I knew they’d be posh, or they couldn’t afford a nanny in the first place. But they have fancy agencies for that sort of thing now; someone with this sort of money doesn’t need to advertise on a Facebook group. I fold the
1 – A Mouth to Feed December 1865 – Vettheim, Finnmark, Norway The frigid winter wind howled ferociously, driving the relentless blizzard hard against the rough wooden walls of the small house. In places, the turf of the roof had been torn away by the savage weather, exposing the birch
My doctor gave me this journal to tell my story, since it’s easier to write it than to speak it. Dr. Henley says the act of writing might help me process what happened, might help me find some semblance of peace in this sterile white hell they call treatment. And
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
Lady Vermella’s piano was large and black. It was covered in a thick, feathery layer of dust. Its keys were turning yellow. It pounded out a strange, haunting melody every night under Lady Vermella’s fingers.Lady Vermella lived in an ancient manor on the top of a hill above the town
I stood in the ice-cold morgue, looking down at the butcher’s latest victim. Her naked body lay upon the metal gurney, her appalling wounds clearly visible – evidence of the horrendous torture she’d suffered before her brutal murder. My partner Mike stood by my side, barely controlling his emotion as
For The Greater Good Read More »
