I put on my running shoes with springs, designed to cushion the impact on the ground. It was my nightly ritual, something I did every single day without fail: running to the neighboring town, keeping my body busy and my mind free of thoughts. It was almost five o’clock, and […]
It was supposed to be a nice break from the real world. A getaway to my cabin in the mountains for a few days to collect myself after the awful past few months. I bought my property from some old miners who had run the mountain dry. The cabin they
Something got out of the cave near my cabin Read More »
I used to like to go exploring in the woods. Not anymore. My name is Jake Somersville. My mom and dad both have advanced degrees in agricultural sciences, whatever that means. They would survey land, crops, sometimes even the local wildlife. I wasn’t sure what exactly it was they did,
The Lake in the Woods Read More »
Liam looked down, shaking as he glared at the blood encrusted on his hands. It was not his own. The infernos of the destruction before him were nailed into his brain. He felt lost and confused. He did not mean to do it; he was just tired of the pain
I crawl. Thirsty. Bitter. So bitter, but I must eat them. The things that grow. They came here in a recent time. The growths are bright. They have a neck, and there is a ball on top of that neck, and one two three four five six seven round fans
We Dream of the Quiet Dark Read More »
Rachael and I were high school sweethearts. We met through mutual friends and hit it off like a house on fire. Our weekends were spent hanging out enjoying each other’s company. Our first big stumbling block came after graduation.We were accepted into different colleges four hours away. Most relationships would
God didn’t answer my prayers but something else did Read More »
My name is John Dawson. I’m a police lieutenant from Canton, Georgia. In my twenty years on the force, I have dealt with some pretty rough characters. My family and I live in a small suburban house just outside the city. Although I spend most of my time in the
I don’t know whether anyone will ever read this account which I’ve scribbled on loose sheets of paper using a leaking biro pen. I intend to stuff the papers into a sealed bottle and toss it out to sea in the remote hope that it will reach someone who knows
I am stranded on a desert island far from home. Please send help. Read More »
“…so in conclusion: the classic gray aliens do exist. As a fellow critical thinker, I’m sure you see I’ve made an excellent case,” Maury said, grinning. Things like Maury’s conspiracy theories were one of the reasons I was going on vacation. I needed a break from things like this. I’ve
I’m never going on a cruise again Read More »
To be honest, it was all about delay. Maura was going to Rhode Island School of Design, there had never been any question of that. Goodie still wasn’t sure he wanted to go to University of Boston, but he was. Arnie was going to M. I. T., and I was taking
I Went Camping With a Bog Monster Read More »
May 10thIt’s an island. That’s it! An island. Let’s make something known from the get-go, I’m not here because I want to be, I’m here because I’m fucked. Yup, fucked. That’s me! Good old fucked Roger Garland. What more can I really say? I know this island may be another
My body floated through space. I was weightless, drifting towards the moon. As I got closer, I began to feel. First normal sensations. Then deep, extreme pain. With a loud crack, my eyes opened. A screaming metal grinding noise twisted my ear drums. The brightness of a glaring full moon
Some of you may have read “The Lottery” at one point or another, whether it was of your own pleasure or rather a part of your schools curriculum. We don’t read The Lottery here in Edwardsville, we live it. Maybe I could give you a bit of backstory, though I
The Edwardsville Lottery Read More »
The leaves rustled under my boots as we climbed up the hill. I was cold. I was tired. I was bored. I’ll never forget that fateful fall weekend my dad dragged me out hunting. He told me I was ten and it was time I started growing up. Time to
My mouth was covered by my older brothers’ hand, shallow, panicked breaths escaping between the sweat between the cracks of his fingers. Both of us whimpering underneath our house in the crawlspace. Our sweatpants and Fanshawe t-shirts covered in spider webs, dirt, and blood. I am crying underneath his hand.
The Dollhouse Murderer Read More »
As his aged, wrinkled fingers weaved through the long beard flowing from his face, that noise came again. Only this time, it was louder. There he sat, hunched over the stained oak table that had arrived years ago with no explanation. It had come whilst he slept; absent one night,
Room With No Windows Read More »
Simon huddled closer to Meredith as the two sat gazing at Manhattan in the distance. A city, once vibrant and full of life, now stood as a mausoleum. Skyscrapers reached toward the darkening sky little more than vacant, black pillars. Deafening silence hung over the deserted streets. Broken cars clogged
The spring flu had been going around the school like usual, but some people were sicker than normal. They didn’t just have fever and headache – their faces were blotchy, their eyes bulged, and they all wheezed like they’d just run up ten flights of stairs without stopping. Cara McCormack
I. The snow had stopped about an hour ago, but god damn, it was still a treacherous road. Mark turned up the radio, half to keep himself awake, and half to try to hear the music through the interfering static. The mountains weren’t good for the signal, and even though
Part 1: Good Will Hunting I’m a producer for Alone, the TV show on History. This story is about a participant we had in season 2, whose footage we had to cut. I’ve never felt comfortable talking about this before, especially because it opens me up for liability. After all,
I hate scarecrows. I have ever since I was little. I found something about the dolls stuffed with straw unsettling. I remember my parents tried to help me get over this fear by telling me things like, “They’re not scary, they only want to be friends” or some other lame
Why I Hate Scarecrows Read More »
I grew up in a tiny town in Vermont. Tiny in terms of population, not size—there were huge sprawling farms and wooded areas, but almost no people. More cows than people, which is standard for a lot of small towns in Vermont. So, clearly, not the most fun in the
The Thing That Will Kill Me Read More »
I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder when I was five. I have always struggled to interact with people because of this disorder, spending large amounts of time attempting to fix imperfections around me. I would lash out harshly at people around me if they touched me or my things, and
There’s always something inherently eerie about living in the forest, in complete isolation. You almost always assume the worst when you’re on your own surrounded by the thickly wooded area, it’s almost like time doesn’t pass the same as it would anywhere else, like the edge of the woods was
