One Squinting into the late afternoon sun, Mel swung her Toyota Camry around the corner and onto the Main Street of the small town. Trying to keep a firm hold on why she was there, Mel studied her surroundings with a critical eye. The center of the town consisted of […]
I happened upon the book at a kiosk in my town’s annual witchcraft festival. The seller, a young, red-haired woman, told me it was known as the Book of Memories. If you wrote down a recollection on one of its many blank pages and closed the book shut, it would
Harold The Tortoise Read More »
Riiiiiiiiing My dream faded away into the blackness of the room, leaving my memory as the confusion washed over me. Did I hear some- Riiiiiiiing The phone rang from somewhere in the dark, accompanied by a dim light as the phone’s screen lit up. I reached for it, noticing how
I died for the first time on the 18th of August, 2006. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant death, nor was it one that I expected. It was simply the random act of violence that destroyed my life… and it came out of nowhere. We were just relaxing at the pub,
Every Year on My Birthday, I Have to Die Read More »
I was referred by a temp agency. I had no idea who I would be working for, or what the job would entail. I only knew that the pay was good. A week-long excursion at $725 a night. More than enough to pay off a couple of credit card bills
As a journalist, I get to travel the country a lot. A part of my job includes a column regarding small town myths and legends. It’s not the most factual part of my work, but I still enjoy it. At least I did until I found a town called Silverwoods.
A Place Where No One Dies Read More »
Who the hell needs a Private Investigator during quarantine? I was obviously grateful to have contact from any client while social distancing, even one that would probably turn out to be some kind of scam. Staying indoors had me going insane. As Steve McCroskey once said, I picked the wrong
The Case of the Kid With COVID Read More »
It had been wracking my brain for months. What exactly did he keep in there? Why was he being so secretive? Even when I was younger, my father was more than happy to share his work with me at the dinner table. I listened intently, fascinated by the projects his
My Father’s Secret Room Read More »
During the past few months, I’ve spent approximately fifty hours trying to obtain a private pilot’s license. I was just about ready to take my final test, but first I wanted one final lesson with my teacher. Luckily, it was a beautiful day with close to no wind. My teacher,
The car accident was a blur. A symphony of shrapnel flying across the highway; the debris of at least three vehicles. At the time, I didn’t know who was at fault, or what exactly happened. I just knew pain. Immense, searing pain. I was in and out of consciousness for
When You Go to Heaven, They Take Your Skin Read More »
Summer for me and my friend, Jake, usually only meant one thing: Endless hiking trips in the mountainous terrain around our city. While traveling far away was a luxury we couldn’t afford, we’d frequently spent the weekend camping out. There were plenty of new places to discover in our vicinity;
We Found a Cave During Our Annual Hiking Trip Read More »
I use the term retired in this context very loosely. I was never paid for my work and there was no pension to speak of. Cryptozoology has always been a passion of mine; one that, in my old age, I no longer have the energy to pursue. But I didn’t
Tales from a Retired Cryptozoologist Read More »
My friends and I used to wander into the dark woods at night, wielding little more than our flashlights and overactive imaginations. It was the surge of adrenaline we needed, gained from harmless, nonexistent horror. Lucky for us, there was a forest bordering our neighborhood. It was full of ancient
Bunker in the Woods Read More »
For months, I caught glimpses of Claira from the safety of my cubical. So beautiful, faultless. Through innocent eavesdropping and pattern recall, I unknowingly learned almost every detail of her life; when she had lunch, who her friends were, and where she would be at any given moment of the
I Followed Her Home Read More »
43 years ago, on the 5th of September 1977, a space probe was launched from Earth, and sent on an endless journey through space. The probe, which was affectionately named Voyager 1, contained a multitude of information regarding humanity, including our language, our art, and in a more metaphorical way;
We Discovered Something in Deep Space Read More »
I’d only been gone for about fifteen minutes, sneaking in a coffee break in the early morning hours. By the time I returned, panic had spread through the office like wildfire. “James, what’s going on?” I asked, more confused than worried. He didn’t have to answer. Instead, he just pointed
August 4th, 1983; my mother is killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver. The intoxicated individual took a turn onto an off ramp and floored it down the wrong side of the highway. It was the dead of night, and at 1:37 a.m., this drunkard collided with my
My Mother’s Death Still Haunts Me Read More »
It seemed like just an ordinary box. The wood was old and weathered, the fastenings were heavy brass, and the lid was inlaid with an ornate silver symbol. My father willed it to me after the state executed him for murder. He left no explanation or instructions, only the small,
The Unopenable Wooden Box Read More »
The road had been covered in a dense fog. Denise decided to rent a room for the night, seeing as she had parked near an unfamiliar hotel. She got out of her car, looking around for any signs of an entrance within the grey haze. A small light broke through
The Sound of Silence Read More »
He could feel his stomach almost twist as the aircraft started its long ascent into the sky. He was already holding onto his seat, yet now he couldn’t help but tighten his grip even more. How long had it been since he’d last been on a plane? A good fifteen
It Came From Above Read More »
My wife and I moved into our new apartment just a few months ago. Before this, we lived in a large cottage overlooking a beautiful lake. It was my wife’s dream home for the three years we lived there. We didn’t want to leave, but it was a necessary step
My Wife Won’t Stop Sleep Talking Read More »
I think calling it an obsession would have been an exaggeration. I’d have preferred the more acceptable term “hobby” to describe my collecting of old cookbooks. Yes, it was a hobby. We all need hobbies, you know. Something to pass the time between lunch and dinner, work and sleep, birth
The Book of the Ravenous Read More »
I used to look out the rusted iron bars of my window and dream about being a bird. The chain that shackled me to my bed was just long enough to reach the windowsill, and so every night after my father would visit my room I would lie awake and
A Talking Crow Taught Me to Fly Read More »
She tried pulling herself back, but however hard she tried, however hard she pushed, she could not stop her feet dragging her towards the open window. She dug her heels into the wooden floor, feeling splinters coming off it as her feet dragged her onward. Her hands caught the window-sill,
The Boy in the Window Read More »
