Read Part One here (Author’s Note: These stories are meant to be read in reverse order of the zodiac, so this chapter comes first, though it deals with Scepi, the Keeper of the Fishes’ Dagger and the Pisces sign.) THE FESTIVAL OF SUMMER in Milham’s Ford was a sanctuary day: […]
Blood Moon: Law of the Fish Read More »
Read Part One here Read Part Two here “You can’t fight what you can’t see or hear.” – Marion Strickler “For good to have any chance, there needs to be something pure.” – William Rayne “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are
WHEN I FOUND OUT my husband was having an affair, AI wasn’t the first thing I turned to. I confronted him about the panties I found in the front of our car, the extra money being spent out of our joint checking account, and the texts I saw on his
Using AI, I Hired A Hitman. Now It’s Blackmailing Me. Read More »
NO ONE EXPECTED the Auclair family to have any children at all, let alone identical twins. Nevertheless, when Samantha and Charity came into this world, their parents discovered there was only one way to tell them apart: Charity had been born blind. Her sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling
ORDINARY FOLK had no reason to fear the Moon. Or so they thought. It hung in the sky as a welcome guardian, pale as paper in its various phases, providing light to travelers and highwaymen when it was full. It meant no harm and could do no harm. Yet tonight,
Blood Moon: Bound in Blood and Magic Read More »
Read Part One here THERE ONCE WAS A PREACHERALL SKIN AND BONESNO ONE KNEW HIS FIRST NAMEHIS LAST ONE WAS JONES This clusterfuck all started on Halloween. At an emergency Town Hall meeting, we’d all come together to discuss the obvious: we were starving. At the rate we were going,
ON SEPTEMBER 22, three harbingers of death arrived at the same time: the Autumnal Equinox, the stopping of the Astronomical Clock in Old Town, and the arrival of TB-9000 in Prague. No one paid much attention to the first event, but the second and third brought great concern. Legend said
SILENCE IS GOLDENREMEMBER THIS RHYMESILENCE YOUR VOICEWHEN IT’S YOUR TIME At sixteen, you must decide. Our doctors say it doesn’t hurt a bit. They use a local anesthetic for the procedure, and it takes less time than filling a tooth. Your throat is sore for about a week afterward. Then
DO YOU KNOW what nitrogen hypoxia is? It’s how I’ve chosen to die. Our state is the sixth to adopt this method, behind Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Some human rights advocates and medical experts consider it cruel and unusual punishment tantamount to torture. However, haven’t they said as
I Lead a Death Cult Read More »
Read Part One here Read Part Two here * * * HELLO AND WELCOME to our pre-Halloween sale at Cinderella’s Curios and Pawn! I’m Katrina Overman, and I’m so glad to meet you. You might recognize this place as having been owned by a woman named Sophie Tafus. My late
WHERE IS my daughter? I need her to come and say goodbye. Cancer isn’t the only thing eating me alive. My son-in-law John is standing next to me, as are my granddaughters Chandra and Kendra, but where on earth is Cheryl? She should be here, but I don’t see her.
WHAT IF you think your sibling is trying to kill you? Let me explain. I’m Chandra Edwards, sixteen years old, birthday May 28, high school sophomore, identical twin. I live in Montrose, the dullest small town that ever existed. My parents are realtors, the successful founders and owners of Homes
HOW FAR are you willing to go to reach the top? True to my usual form, I fucked around and found out. I’m Chad Martinez: fifteen years old, freshman, nickname “Toro.” It fits me to a T. Not only am I bullheaded, but I work hard and play harder, and
WHAT QUESTION in life scares you the most? For me, it’s a matter of identity. I know I’m Zach Cunningham, sixteen years old, 5’11”, 145 pounds. I live on a farm on the outskirts of a small town, and I’m a brother to five younger siblings. Beyond that, though? It’s
Read Part One here “Well, I am Death, none can excel! I’ll open the door to Heaven or Hell.” – Ralph Stanley, “O Death,” from “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” NOVEMBER is a month that shows us what comes after change. Gone are the colorful leaves and spooky celebrations of
The Clock Strikes Twelve Read More »
“You think you can win on talent alone? You don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone.” – Kurt Russell, “Miracle” * * * “WHERE’S MY STORY?” “I don’t have it yet. Sorry. I’ll send it soon.” “Have you even started?” “Yeah. I’ll get right on it.” “You’d better.”
Talent, Right on Time Read More »
HELLO. My name is Max Regnier. My story begins at the end – if there is an end. I’ve been consigned to the fourth circle of Hell. If you’ve ever read Dante’s “Inferno,” or even if not, you might remember that it punishes greed. Misers and spenders toil on opposite
A MAN’S HOME is his castle. That’s what they say. Do you know what a castle is? A fortress that’s supposed to be impenetrable. It’s my job to penetrate them. Yeah, I’m a burglar. I challenge you to judge me on that fact alone. How many of you have ever
HAVE YOU EVER bargained with a ghost? We’re going to. We’re not supposed to be here, but none of us could resist the chance to sneak into the Durgee House on Halloween. At 3 AM, no less. It helps that Alex’s father is the caretaker. All Alex had to do
Lives in the Balance Read More »
Mabel Crudup basked in the May sunshine as she worked in her garden. Grinning, she inhaled the fresh scent of soil mixed with last night’s rain. Days like this were made for going outdoors and getting one’s hands dirty. Mabel stabbed the tip of her trowel into the ground, digging
What the Left Eye Sees Read More »
I LOVE GOSSIP. Every chance I get, I watch Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos, and that new girl Zara Zimmerman. All sleaze, all the time. The revelation of other people’s secrets sends a thrill through me like an electrical jolt. Cheating lovers, absent fathers, all sorts of liars –
Other People’s Secrets Read More »
Is this quest enough to sustain you? Is this accumulation of curses really worthwhile? Has everything progressed perfectly, with no loss or sorrow?– Anonymous, “The Holder of Remorse”_________ Tuesday, 10/31/2312:00 PM October, a month of chill, darkness and rain, has burst out in full glory. Leaves crackle underfoot. Wind whips
Sesquicentennial, Part One Read More »
“I HAVEN’T WRITTEN anything since last year.” “Why do you think that is?” I’m sitting in the office of Dr. Gregory Prah, Ph.D., assigned to hold me during my 5250 hold. That’s not what I’m supposed to tell him. At least not right away during my 14-day vacation, all expenses
“Mother?” In the dim light of my bedroom, cast by a single candlestick that made shadows dance on the ceiling, I sought her smiling face. It anchored my life and my world. “Yes, dear?” “May I ask three questions before I go to sleep?” “Of course.” Rustle went her nightdress;
