The package sat on the porch for an hour before Jack bothered to retrieve it. He eyed the box warily, like it might bite. It had been a drunk purchase, made in the dead of night after his fourth glass of whiskey and a failed attempt at writing Chapter One […]
CRASH! Thomas nearly jumped out of his skin at the waitress, suddenly dropping her tray of glassware a mere 5 feet from his booth. The sound of jingling glass shards and metallic forks bouncing around could be heard long after the accident initially occurred as they bounced around wildly. This
I was told I shouldn’t write this. My friends, those few that I have left, tell me it will be embarrassing, a public declaration of my mental illness. My father, dry as ever, reminded me that it would contradict my sworn testimony in court. And for my part, I know
A young, dark blond woman with a backpack checked the list of stores in her hand. Of the seven names, she crossed out four. She checked her phone for directions to the antique store Gifts of Old. She put her phone away and read the back of the paper, a
In August of 2013, I visited the small town of Cloutierville, Louisiana, to investigate the cellar of a small, abandoned farmhouse. I was drawn to this farmhouse because, in 1932, a woman was murdered here, and in 1933, her husband mysteriously vanished. While this situation alone was not of particular
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It was cold and dark that one wretched morning in the city of dead dreams. Dilapidated buildings, decadent sentries of another time, towered on either side of me as I sped by on my way to the warehouse downtown. An ill-disposed wind howled in every direction; beggars huddled together and
The dirt road was rougher than expected. I could feel the aluminum rims of the courtesy vehicle punching potholes through the thin layer of rubber on the low-profile tires. Maureen’s house was definitely what you’d call backwoods. Another loud thump from the rear of the minivan and I could see
Used Truck For Sale 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,
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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 »
There was nothing strange about Amber. She wasn’t too tall or too short. She was of average height and weight. She wasn’t ugly but she wasn’t pretty either and her grades, although passing, were never top marks. She lived in an average house, with an average family, in an average
My grandfather on my dad’s side passed away from cancer back in 2018 at the age of 75. Unlike my mom’s parents and my dad’s mom, my two brothers, my sister and I knew very little about “Grandpa Henry”. All that we knew about him was that he was born
My mother never let me look at the family photo albums. I never knew why. Whenever I asked, she would tell me that they were old and fragile, and would break if we got them down from the shelf. They were so high that I could never reach them as
I Found a Disturbing Photo in My Family Photo Album Read More »
You know those people who you tell the time of events to 15 minutes early because you know they would be late? The ones who would be late to their own funerals, as the saying goes? Well, that’s me. Prepare as I might. I can never seem to get anywhere
Never Stop At Roadside Memorials Read More »
Mark is not my real name. I’m changing the names for others’ privacy too. I’ll tell you why I can’t sleep. You’ll find this a bit strange but I swear it’s all true. I’m friends with a guy, call him Bill, I worked with at the Crab House back in
The Shimmering Statue Read More »
The bell above the door rang noisily as I entered the bookshop. My hopes of just browsing through the books without attracting the attention of a well-intentioned but usually annoying clerk were immediately dashed. I hate to be bothered while perusing the shelves. But upon closing the door and getting
Moving day. A chance to start fresh in a new place. New opportunities, new community, new home. Home. Not just a house. To Eric Sherman, this was a place he could finally call home. No ex-wives to hound him for alimony. No disapproving parents to question his absence of faith
The hull of the ship moaned and groaned under the strain of its frozen enclave. HMS Stargazer and its crew had initially set out into the deep unknown to map uncharted territories, but winter descended quickly upon them and they found themselves trapped between stars and ice for months. Supplies were running thin and the captain of the ship, a tall and clean shaven gentleman by the name of Gerald Northington, had assembled groups of hunters to venture out in search of seal meat. The most recent hunting expedition had yet to return and Northington was pacing anxiously up and down his quarters.
Between Ice and Stars Read More »
The taxi drove off, leaving Funk on the Hoddeston lawn, surrounded by valises. Funk was thinking it more than merely odd that Barclay, for whose coaching he had come prepared to spend a month, had not met him as planned. He tried the screen door; it was hooked inside. “Hello,
The Sinister Painting Read More »
I. Without, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnam Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess, the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary
“So… what are we doing here?” “We’re uh… appreciating art.” “How do you appreciate art?” “I think you just stand there and look at it.” “That’s it?” “Yeah, pretty much.” “Danny we’re staring at a nine foot painting of a triangle. No offense, but even your hipster girlfriend knew this
The Blue Eyed Painting Read More »
The scene was the Savant Club in the last years of the 19th century. Despite the extreme lateness of the hour, a few of the regulars were gathered there for cards and conversation. The latter turned, as it often did, to the uncanny. “H’m,” said Nelson Hayes, one of the
The French Traveler Read More »
I’m sure if you’re a real horror fan, you’ve heard of the 1922 movie Nosferatu. It was one of the first real horror movies, made in Germany just after World War I. It had a large influence on vampire lore, because it made them vulnerable to the sun. Before, vampires
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When I was a child my father owned a janitorial company that worked almost every night at our local Showbiz Pizza Place/Chuck E. Cheese’s. He would often bring me to work with him so I could play all of the arcade games without having to wait in line. He’d even
Where A Kid Can Be A Kid Read More »
oK so basicaly its like this. youare at a friends house for like the night or watever and then you guys are making out on the couch (yeah!) and then like.. her dad calls on the phone and says “no i she likes it more if you use the other hand… yeah” and your alllike “oh dude your dad is trying to give me advice on how to diddle you” and then she’s like… “i don’t have a dad..” or whatever… but what!? WHO WAS PHONE?
