Charlotte woke early in the morning on April 25th, 1678. She rose from bed, brushed her usual mess of blonde hair, and put on her favorite red dress and matching red shoes. She had always loved the beauty of the color red, the vivid hue of roses and red cardinal […]
The Leaves Told Her So Read More »
There’s never one point where something ‘clicks’. Some like to believe there is, that hobbies or skills reach a well-defined turning point, an ON-OFF switch. It’s never that simple. Even the most abrupt of changes occur over time, not in discrete, quantum moments. That’s why the worst changes are still
Sea of the Fractured Circuit Read More »
While others can find forests unsettling in the dark, I’ve always found that there is something uniquely tranquil about walking through a forest at night. There would be no one but me and the sound of the wind through the trees, the rustling of small animals through the leaf litter
Don’t Look, Don’t Listen Read More »
Every fourth Thursday in November, families across the country gather together in celebration of the love and appreciation they feel for one another. This of course takes place over a delicious Thanksgiving feast of turkey, yams, dressings, and pies! At least that’s the Hallmark definition, but most of us just
Marcel tightened the last cords on his hiking backpack. He stepped back admiring how neatly he packed the bag. Every year he and a group of friends went on three-day expeditions into the mountains, and this year he couldn’t wait. The fresh air, the peaceful sunrises, and the morning dew
The Porcelain Mask Read More »
In every neighbourhood, on every street in North America there is that one person who just doesn’t fit in with the rest. Sometimes they are an elusive recluse that rarely ventures much further then the mailbox. Sometimes they are a grumpy senior citizen who seems to hate all things fun.
The Secrets of Mr. Thomas Read More »
“Lost in the woods,” was a phrase my father used a lot. When I was young; should we be out in the world and witness someone acting out in any way, “That boy’s lost in the woods,” he’d say, shaking his head in that parental disappointment sort of way, even
The Traveller Series I’ve travelled to parallel universes. The worlds I’ve seen are terrifying I’ve travelled to parallel universes. The worlds I’ve seen are terrifying – Part 2 I’ve travelled to parallel universes. The worlds I’ve seen are terrifying – Part 3 I was transported to a hellish alternate universe.
I colonised an alternate version of Earth. There were no other survivors. Read More »
It was one of those stormy nights during my summer trip in the tropics when I stumbled upon that old tunnel. It was the longest and scariest night of my life. I did not think I would ever get out of that forest alive. I was badly injured, weather-beaten and
The Creek of A Thousand Corpses Read More »
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
Driving, to me it is more then just getting from point A to point B, it is a way of life. Some find peace at a spa or on a beach but for me peace is the interstate at 2am with nothing but the open road ahead of me. I
Back in the 80s, life was hard and arduous for people who lived in the countryside. There were only a few job opportunities other than being a farmer or joining the military. My father had never aspired to do either, but just like his father, and his grandfather, and his
On A Quiet Night You Can Hear The Corn Grow Read More »
It was after midnight and a lone taxi was driving down the dark country roads. In the absence of street lights, the road looked eerily empty as he drove on through the thick billowing fog. The pine trees that lined both sides of the road seemed tall and menacing in
Hey, hey! Welcome back; come on in! The rain is pouring, and the fire is roaring; soon as we saw those storm clouds, we doubled the wood supply. It can do this all week, I’m just glad the snow is gone. … … You bet, friend – we’ve been watching
The Last Settlement Read More »
My day started just like all those before it that month. Dark. lonely. I got up around 7:30, like usual. Nothing was happening. Nothing ever was. November was always one of my favorite months, a gateway to winter. I usually only went in the woods in the winter time, ticks
The Creature In The Pines Read More »
The following is a collection of official police reports and files from the Stirling County Sheriffs office. They are part of an unsolved criminal investigation and deemed sensitive material. 911 call: June 20th 2021, 12:04am Dispatcher: 911 what is your emergency? Caller: Hello my name is Kevin Watts and I
The mystery of Blackfeather Woods Read More »
January 11, 2022 [tap, tap] Hello, um, [clears throat] hey Night Crawlers… if I can still call you that. So, listen, it’s January 11, 2022, and… I know it’s been a while since you heard from me… I’m honestly surprised any of you are here… but if you’ll let me,
Hello there! Look what the cat dragged… oh my! Are you alright?! Hurry, get inside! … You need to get here earlier if you’re gonna pay regular visits! Just because you’re safe inside doesn’t mean you can be roaming around outside all willy-nilly. Judging by the mud on your clothes,
The Growing Settlements Read More »
Welcome, friend. Come on in, it’s storming out there. We’ve lost power, but it’s dry and warm inside. Grab a blanket and join us by the fire before you freeze, we got plenty of room. It’s not safe to be wandering around in the dark. Not out here where the
The First Settlement Read More »
I threw a rock down the well. It clattered against the walls as it bounced from one side to another. I waited, straining both ears. No indication that it had reached the bottom. “Hello?” I whispered tentatively in a low shaky voice as I peered down into the darkness, my
The Wishing Well of Heathenberry Forest Read More »
To all my children, to all those who followed me, and to those who trusted me, I am sorry, but this is my suicide note. It is necessary to kill the monster which now haunt us, one beyond all hope for redemption. There are many things which I should have
Children of Wood and Man Read More »
I’m in the engineers union, but I don’t have a degree in anything. I go to job sites all over the state and mark elevations for excavation. I hike around placing a GPS marker on the ground, push a button and the little screen on top tells me a few
Encounter on the Olympic Peninsula Read More »
I had recently moved to the Yorkshire Dales with my rescue dog, Splash, so-named for his love of puddles, and this summer past we had ambled through the woodland on long walks on a weekend. He would always dart ahead, rustling through the leaf litter for insects or fallen branches,
Mt. Spire shone brilliant and white above the bristly pines. In the noontime sun, one could see the snow weep and the summer trails reveal themselves. It was a wonderful sight for any climber. However, Anna would consider it even more wonderful if she did not have to hike ten
In the Shadow of Mt. Spire Read More »
