I was a Disney kid. Obviously. Heck, I even still have toys and figurines of the mouse himself lying around my room, specifically a large, stuffed plushie of Mickey. However, as I grew older, the nostalgia that had soured into curiosity led me to question what the workers did behind […]
I would first like to clarify that I do not want to write this. My therapist ordered it. They said, “Revisit the wounds until they stop bleeding.” I take the aripiprazole, and I think that should be enough. But no. Now I need to drift through memory like a bilious
The Cat in the Windowsill Read More »
Jason watched the hands of the clock ticking. The hour hand was moving to nine o’clock. The hour he dreaded so much. His eyes darted around the room. In the corner his blue lava lamp cast fleeting shadows that resembled dogs, silhouettes and long-fingered hands, prancing and clawing up and
The Eyes of the Angel Read More »
When I was really little, something nasty got into my blood. Daddy took me to every hospital he could, until he’d run out of money. Auntie said we should all just pray harder. Daddy said “God let my child get leukemia. I’ll take my chances with the Devil.” I’ve never
Mr. Kindly’s Pawnshop Read More »
Marcus Ridge was an ordinary young man living alone in his one-bedroom apartment—which looked more like a tiny studio—right in the middle of the city. Not many people, not even his closest friends, knew about the past that still haunted him to this day. Another thing no one really knew
Back to Ravensville Read More »
I’m sure many of you who were kids in the 2000’s like I was had and perhaps still have a certain fondness for stores like Party City, Spirit Halloween, iParty, Toys R’ Us, and other similar retailers. There was always a sense of excitement to having your parents take you
I Got Lost in a Retail Store When I Was 9 and Only Remembered What Happened Recently Read More »
My father had always told me growing up to never open my eyes when it was a full moon. He claims that there was a spirit that lurked at night, preying on people who were awake past the witching hour. I never believed those silly stories he told me; I
The Thing Who Knocks Read More »
Patchwork Man, Patchwork Man, play a game!Patchwork Man, Patchwork Man, in the frame! And the next line is something about stealing your skin. But for the life of me I cannot remember the end. I’m trying to find it for an old friend. This friend—for privacy’s sake, let’s call her
Does anyone remember the rhyme about the Patchwork Man? And the picture game Read More »
Miss Green wiped away the thick layer of condensation that had gathered on her classroom’s paper thin-window. She flicked away the droplets from her hand, peered out into the misty morning schoolyard, and was instantly stalked by Toothless Joe’s big cartoon eyes. The great, dumb statue sat smack-bang in the
When I was young, me and my childhood-best friend were writing diaries. “Childish” you’d say? Maybe. To be fair, we were children back then. We used to go to the same school and were really close. Even our teachers joked about us never separating. We really never did. Always together.
My friend’s diary ends differently than I remembered Read More »
Cole stood alone on a hill in a world without color. There was fog all around him, and he did not know where he was. The boy could not see more than five feet ahead of him in any direction. Only the dead grass beneath his feet offered any clue
When I was a young kid, there was nothing bigger than Bingo’s Circus Extravaganza. I grew up in the Cleveland area during the ‘80s. While some of the larger television markets were featuring national children’s programming in the afternoons, we didn’t have more than one or two of those types
The Christmas Bear Read More »
As anyone who is or has been the “nerdy kid” growing up can attest to, you can’t help but assume the worst when the biggest bloke in class suddenly walks up to you. It took him calling me by name several times for me to stop pretending like I was
I never believed in magic until I met Tommy Naughton. The first time I saw him was in my eleventh-grade English class at Ridley High in 2001. He looked odd, with his gapped-up haircut and baggy clothing. He always smelled like sour sweat—ugh! He rarely made eye contact, never spoke
The Disappearing Boy Read More »
With trembling hands, Liam gingerly lifted his father’s reading glasses off the surface of the small upstairs office desk. He knew that he couldn’t keep his father, Gordon, waiting for very long, lest he fly into another fit of rage. Gordon’s request was simple: retrieve the glasses within ten seconds,
The Forgotten Family Read More »
Ever since I was a small child, we were never allowed in a certain section of my grandparents’ home. My sister and I were told that it was just a large library full of books we would find too boring or long to find interesting and that the shelves were
Grandfather’s Library Read More »
“’sup?” They looked at each other, neither really sure what to say or how to say it. It had been a long time. The whole house felt strange, certainly stranger than it should. It had been maybe five years since he’d set foot inside. Not the longest time but considering
For Old Times Sake Read More »
It’s my oldest memory. I’m standing in dad’s office, books are raining from the shelves as the ground shakes under my feet. It’s an earthquake, my first one so to me it’s pretty scary. Cap is still in diapers. He won’t remember any of it. Dad’s bookcase slides over and
Deep in the state of sleep, I arose from my bed without any hesitation. With no reason whatsoever, I was covered in a cold sweat that felt that it would forever stick to my pale skin. It was as if I was in the lightest sleep because of the way
No one had ever lived there. At least, not as long as I could remember. But I was 12, so that didn’t mean much. I asked dad once, but we’d moved in only a year before I was born. And no one was there then. Mom passed away when I
Billy slowly facilitated his way in, careful to avoid cutting himself on the broken window. He had gained entry to places similarly and tried his best to clear the shards from the frame using his thick jacket. It was difficult to wipe it all away clean. That was the thing
My buddy Gavin had always tried to be a superhero. Yes. You read that right. Not he always loved superheroes – not even that he always wanted to be a superhero. He made a costume and mask when we were in middle school and had been crusading around the neighborhood
My Best Friend Became a Murderer Read More »
When I was a young girl, a creepy thing happened to me. Even today I don’t understand. My parents still live in the house where it happened, this means I will never forget, though I wish I did. My old bedroom faces the road that runs in front of our
The Stalker of Decay Read More »
I killed my best friend when I was thirteen. It wasn’t what I wanted, or what the others involved wanted, but that doesn’t matter now, he’s gone. Most people look back at their childhood and realize that there was a day they went out to play with their friends for
The Farmer and the Scarecrow Read More »
