“So I don’t get any say in this?” “In a word, no.” My mother was driving too fast, as if she couldn’t wait to get rid of me. It wasn’t easy to drive too fast in Manhattan’s Upper East Side traffic, but she was managing it.“I thought America was supposed …
“This is a matchmaking service?” asked the doctor, a concerned look on his face. “This is the Garden of Eden,” replied his host with a smile. The doctor looked around the room with a raised eyebrow and growing discomfort. The elaborate advertisement for the service promising to “find your perfect …
Greetings friends and horror aficionados. Thank you for joining me for the second story from the terror-filled annals of the Hotel Morte. I imagine you have questions following the first instalment, in which I described the premature demise of Mr Hillman in all its gory details. Hopefully I will be …
In June of 1986, I received a call to inspect the well water quality of the small town of Megiddo Hills out in rural Indiana. It was to be a short drive from my home in Indianapolis, and the company promised to pay me a slight bonus, given its great …
“Mother?” In the dim light of my bedroom, cast by a single candlestick that made shadows dance on the ceiling, I sought her smiling face. It anchored my life and my world. “Yes, dear?” “May I ask three questions before I go to sleep?” “Of course.” Rustle went her nightdress; …
In the town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on December 8th, 2021, Buck W. Curwen was arrested on charges of grave robbing, kidnapping, breaking and entering, destruction of property, assault, double homicide, and resisting arrest. Upon pleading guilty to all charges, he gave the following testimony to the court. The ordeal began …
People don’t die cleanly. It’s messy, miserable work. Everyone fights back, regardless of age or gender. It’s an animalistic instinct driven by the bolts of adrenaline rushing through their brain. Fight. Resist. Run. Escape LIVE. Those were the thoughts whirling behind the bearded man’s eyes as my knife slid into …
I found the quilt some years ago in Aberdeen, Scotland while traveling on business. It was in a small shop on an old cobblestone street off of Union Street called The Goat and Toad. The quilt was old and discolored but had interesting symbols and non-symmetrical patterns woven into its …
There’s a certain impersonal charm to grocery stores. People pass each other, usually avoiding eye contact and cloaked in a security blanket of inconspicuousness. And the homeless that you often find outside of these places, well they might as well be a light pole or a park bench, hiding in …
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 …
It all started with a simple schoolyard rhyme. No one knew the original incarnation, only a fragment of it survived and was circulated amongst our school. “A pail of snails lifts the veil to Blackbart the Frail.” Blackbart became an amalgam of the boogeyman and a wish-granting genie. Lara was …
When my daughter Violet was born, I didn’t have much to offer her. My wife and I both worked, but housing was expensive where we lived and much of our income went towards renting our cramped two bedroom apartment. Owning our own home was still just a dream then. All …
“Welcome to the Memento Mori Museum, lovingly tour-guided by our docent EM(ily), who uploaded two short years ago! Come see caskets, coffins, wreaths and other not-so-ancient paraphernalia, along with an interactive exhibit where you can climb inside! JUST KIDDING! No, we’re not. Seriously, try it. Here at THE DEATH MUSEUM …
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 …
Hey again… Since that last post actually went through, I should probably let everyone know what happened. Consider it a public service; if you find yourselves getting lost on any backroads – just stop and GPS your way home before it’s too late. You get nothing from that place… except …
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 …
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 …
Thursday Today is Thursday, June 16, 2022, and I don’t know where I am. I’m parked on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, and I’m not even sure this is still Louisiana. I haven’t had a bar of service all day, I’ve been driving for nine …
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 …
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 …
Dear God, Please forgive this poor sinner for how long it has been since I have last prayed to you. I swear that it wasn’t because of a lack of faith or loss of wanting to be wrapped in your grace. Earthly matters have taken up my attention over the …
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 …
Don’t knock on wood. Ever again. I know that sounds crazy. But trust me. It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it because you might not be ready for what you’re inviting into your life… I definitely wasn’t. About a month ago, I packed up what few possessions I owned …
Think back to the days you were a child. Where your only genuine concern was what sorts of ways you could entertain yourself for the day. Perhaps you spent your time playing a video game that you still enjoy today. Or maybe you were really into sports, having your parents …
