I open my eyes, yet they do not see. I reach out with my hands, yet I am constrained. I inhale deeply, but dank air fills my lungs. Where am I? My mind races as I try to remember how I got in this predicament. It is pitch blackness that …
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, …
I moved into my current house with my parents three years ago in 2006. Seems so long ago now that the number is in front of me. But, you’re not here to listen to me reminisce about times that have since passed. So, I’ll try my best to get right …
A child was costly, and he had such little money. His mind, also, had been unwell. He hadn’t been himself of late, like his brain had gotten sick much in the way that the body often does in the cold weather. Perhaps his recent actions were nothing more than the …
In the weak light of the porch lamp, the door stood illuminated. The wood was splintering and the gray paint was flaking heavily. At eye level there were patches of paint missing, showing where years’ worth of knuckles had rapped against the wood. To the left of the door, encased …
NOTE: I am a friend of Andrew Talbot, the man that sent me this recording. I recently received an email from Andrew that contained a recording of his podcast that, to my knowledge, never aired. There was no explanation as to why he had sent it to me. There was …
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 …
It wasn’t until my early 30’s that I developed my arachnophobia. As a kid, I had what most would consider to be only a rational fear of the eight-legged pests. I didn’t particularly like spiders, but I wouldn’t say I was exactly petrified by their presence either. I viewed them …
The rusty black Sedan crept along the road opposite Claire, moving at under 10 mph. Claire stopped walking and pretended to check her phone while ignoring her shaking hand and rising heart rate: the signs of an on-coming panic attack, worsened by alcohol. The Sedan finally stopped, but she heard …
I’m sorry for this. Recently, I received a package in the mail. I didn’t recognize the sender. It seemed harmless enough. So, I opened it up. It was a DVD. The box was completely black except for white lettering on the front. It read Your Life: The Final Season. Interesting …
We’d been dating for only a month, Gregory and I, but It seemed as if we’d known one another for years. I was addicted to him, addicted to us. Addicted to his touch on my waist, the way he softly stroked my hair, the smell he left on the pillowcase, …
In the pitch black darkness of nightfall, many unsavory things can and often do take place. We are told at a young age that nothing can get you in the dark… that you’re safe. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the truth. There are indeed monsters in this world… sometimes they’re in …
May 9th. Another murder. The newspaper says it all. The headlines read: “Third Tape Given to Police”. The page says the following:“Yesterday afternoon, police received a third tape. As per the previous two, the tape was delivered outside police headquarters with a note, this time labeled ‘Number 3’. Leading Detective …
Things have been tough ever since mom passed. Dad’s a complete shell of himself, and I’ve been left on my own to sort through the abundance of emotions I’m going through. It was actually a relief when Dad told me he was going to head to the cabin for the …
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 …
The buzzing of my phone pulled my eyes away from the road. An image of a smirking dark haired woman and the words HeartBreaker filled the phone’s screen. I thought about answering it and screaming at her to call Dylan. “He’ll keep you warm at night while I’m working. Dylan …
There was once a story my mother used to tell me, in hopes I wouldn’t turn out like my father. “Treat your children right, Tommy or the Windwhisper will come to punish you.” A boogeyman from my childhood, something I thought was just a myth, turned out to be quite …
“Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”– Friedrich Nietzsche There’s something looking at me in the corner of my room. I throw one bleary half-opened eye toward my ancient alarm clock in an attempt to …
All she wanted was to enjoy some soup while reading her new book; she didn’t prepare anything else, just plain tomato soup. She went to “drink” her soup when she felt something solid and moving in her mouth. She felt little, hairy legs brushing up against her gums and dancing …
“Why aren’t you writing?” “I’m getting there. I just, um, I just haven’t figured out a good starting point yet.” “Excuses…” “I’m not making excuses! You want this done right, don’t you?” “I want it done! Period!” “You can’t rush the process, man. It’s not as if writing your story …
When she first brought home the iron skillet, no one questioned her sudden culinaryskills. Except for maybe, her mother. “Honestly Katrina, I don’t understand what’s gotten into you. I’ve never seen you express one wit of interest in food.” It was also her mother who commented on her weight. “Honestly …
“I want you to know I’m not crazy. What I tell you in this office today is just to clear my head so I can get past all the damn nightmares. Past the demons” Joshua stated. Dr. Hugh listened but did not acknowledge as he read over the man’s handwritten …
Driving late at night was never something I enjoyed. There were too many variables that could go wrong. A headlight could go out, I could get lost, maybe even fall asleep at the wheel, and worst of all break down with no one else awake to help fix the car. …
“This shit always happens. First no service, and now no food,” Teresa said, brow furrowed and pointing across the campfire before burying her face into her hands. “It’s not my fault! I swear!” David yelled, raising his arms with his palms facing forward. “I know this looks bad but I …
