Day 1 Alright, this is day one of seclusion for me. My therapist recommended that I get away for at least a week to try and get my shit together. He also suggested that I keep a journal of my time in voluntary isolation to keep track of my progress. […]
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,
Part one. A melancholy recollection of traumatic events. I hate bullies. Bullies have set the course of my fairly chaotic life, since day one. My father was a bully. My Mother wasn’t much better, if I’m being honest. My parents were very religious, and I don’t mean just go to
If like me you identify as an introvert and consider yourself as something of a misanthropist, you’ve probably dreamt at one point or another of escaping to a deserted island somewhere and living in peace and solitude, free from the stresses of the modern world. The fantasy of running off
‘I am an Irish Ghost Hunter. My last investigation almost cost me everything.’ Read More »
Hollow bodies, Hollow bodies knocking on my brain They haunt my dreams with silent screams They’re driving me insane Hollow bodies, Hollow bodies Faceless figures in the rain Their pinstripe suits and taloned fingers Drill my skull in endless pain Hollow bodies, Hollow bodies Once human now a parasite They
One last crimson heart. That’s all there was. John stood in the storage closet-like room, barely breathing. The only light was a sliver from the hallway and a flickering incandescent bulb strung up in the center of the room. Directly under the fleeting yellow light sat a green box atop
One Last Crimson Heart Read More »
I want to tell you the story of a bizarre thing that happened to me five years ago. It was what you might call a life changing experience, a metaphorical kick in the balls that put me on the straight and narrow after years spent in a vicious cycle of
The Man with the Woolly Face Read More »
Have you ever heard the legend of Stingy Jack? No? Well, no matter. I’d never heard of him either, not until I had the misfortune of meeting the shifty bastard face-to-face. I encountered Jack, not realising who or what he was, and my ignorance almost cost me my life…Not just
The night I drank with Stingy Jack Read More »
I’ve lived in the same house my entire life. I grew up here, and now I’m raising my own family under this roof. Our home is no mansion…far from it. We live in a small-terraced house on a narrow back street in North Belfast. At first glance, there isn’t much
The Big Man of Arden Street Read More »
I’ll start this account by admitting I was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army during the early 1970’s. I joined as a volunteer in the South Down Brigade in late 1971 and was active along the border up until my arrest and conviction in 1975. I make no
Something happened in an Irish border town that was kept out of the history books Read More »
“Can I tell you a story Boss?” The kindly old man that I knew as Harvey Abberline had asked me in a distant and almost wistful tone in that distinct foreign accent of his that I guessed was from somewhere in the United Kingdom on the very last day he
The Monster of Nobel Coffee and Tea Read More »
Our town wasn’t always like this, deserted and barren. At one point it was actually considered to be flourishing, with a steady stream of income for people of all ages and multiple venues of entertainment which seemed to have a little bit of something for everyone. The heart of our
My mother died suddenly and unexpectantly sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning. The coroner said she suffered a massive stroke and her death would have been instantaneous. This brought me some small comfort, knowing that she hadn’t suffered in the end. I was the one who found her.
Confessions of a Belfast Cop Read More »
It’s cold. It’s always cold in January. Isn’t it? This January is not so unusual after all, it would seem. It’s still cold. The snow still hangs low in the branches of the evergreens. The snow fox can still be glimpsed occasionally darting in and out of the treeline. No,
Ikuutayuq: An Inuit Folktale Read More »
My name is Sean. Actually, that’s not my real name, but it will have to do. I live in a small tight knit community – the type where everyone knows everybody else. So, if I published my story under my real identity, I’d become a local laughingstock. Either that, or
Every night I’m stopped at a roadblock that shouldn’t exist Read More »
My grandfather never spent that much time with me, growing up. When I heard the news of his passing, all I could muster was a tone of indifference in the form of empty condolences. My lack of sympathy turned to guilt when I heard he left me everything he owned.
My Grandfather’s Ouija Board Read More »
*** *** When I was a young girl, I developed a love for plush. Large, small, velveteen, cotton – no stuffed animals were off limits. I received one on every gift-giving occasion; before long, I had quite the collection. Though I loved all of my stuffed animals, one in particular
My Plush Kitten Came To Life Read More »
Father O’Brian- You’ve asked me to keep a journal, and here it is. It seems that relocating to Maryland was a waste. Moving from one house to another doesn’t seem to stop anything, and the police are at a loss. If you are unable to help us, the
He Comes Closer When I Blink Read More »
I had nightmares about the place for weeks. Every time, it was exactly the same. I stood before a large oak tree, alone, in a vast field of dead grass. Roots from the tree wove in and out of the dirt, far from their source, twisting in unnatural ways. Its
The Tree From Which Dead Things Grow Read More »
Freya Clydesdale and I grew up together; her house being right next door to mine. Though younger than me by a few years, she is perhaps the smartest person I have ever known and will ever know. One of the clearest memories I have of our time together took place
The Girl Who Made the Stars Sing Read More »
There I was, scratching my ninth scratch-off ticket in a row at my local convenience store. My eyes widened with hope, but also sank in with the anticipation of disappointment. The other eight representations of my gambling fuel rested in pieces inside the store’s waste bin. Revealing each number using
The Cat With Human Teeth Read More »
I was almost friends with a monster when I was eleven years old. I would have preferred a human friend, but my family had just moved to a new city where everyone was cold and distant. My father promised that I would meet new people at school, but
Late one night, I found myself driving down what seemed like an endless stretch of road. I was on my way back from a week-long business trip, facing at least a twelve-hour drive home. Having always been scared of flying, the monotonous trek was unavoidable. Though tedious and sometimes downright
A Diner Open 25 Hours a Day Read More »
I don’t know when you’re going to read this, but I can tell you when it started: I was out for a walk alone in the woods when the entity came for me. It was beyond a blur. It was, for lack of a better term, absence of
