When I turned sixteen, my Dad gave me a book. The leather cover was so old and worn that I couldn’t even read the title. “This was given to me by your grandpa,” he said. “Forgot to go out and get you something, so I thought I’d just give you […]
In my youth, I found myself fascinated by my father’s line of work. I would jump up when I saw him arrive home with his bag, and sprint to him with boyish excitement, begging and bargaining for the right to watch him. He never said yes, of course, because no
The Taxidermist’s Son Read More »
Sam laid and stared at the green alarm clock blaring endlessly inches from his face. In his groggy state, he had to think about what the arms of the mechanical clock were telling him as he clicked it off. “4:30” he said out loud to nobody as he shook his
EYE-WITNESS REPORT TRANSCRIPT RUSTIC FARMS, NEW HAMPSHIRE DISCOVERY SITE WITNESS: RICHARD A. FABIAN I had always wanted to hike; like really hike. None of these trails or pathways. Those are too linear. When I was little, my dad took me through a forest, and it was the most exhilarating hike
“Alright, let’s get this started. Incision time, 9:45,” a manly voice said loudly, jolting me awake. I felt groggy, and my eyes were kept shut by tape covering my eyelids. I tried to call out for help, but quickly realised I couldn’t form any words, nor move a single muscle.
I Woke Up During Surgery Read More »
I must warn you now that every detail included in this account is not of my own invention – though I wish from the bottom of my heart that it was exactly that, an invention – and that none of it is at all pleasant to read, so if you
“The water is perfect at this time of night.” Shana lifted her long, white dress over her thin shoulders and dipped under the cool depths of Lake Diamond. “Don’t be such a baby, Freeman. We didn’t come out here at two AM for nothing.“ She smiled when she spoke. I
I Met Someone Who Makes Me Feel Seasick Read More »
“Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t real.” “How do you know?” “Because you can feel them when they’re close,” I said. “The goosebumps on your skin even though it’s not cold. The way the air tastes, and the dry lump in your throat. That’s
The World’s Oldest Tree Is Trying to Communicate 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 »
I’ve been dead now for almost five weeks, it feels different than you might think. Of course, I’m not really dead, if I were I wouldn’t be able to write this account of what happened to me, but legally at least, I have been declared dead. Once you’re dead it’s
How Do You Prove You Are Alive? Read More »
Every year since my son Lucas turned 10, he, my wife Jennet, and I have taken a week-long vacation in Vermont. Years ago, my wife’s father left her a small cottage by a lake I had never heard of, in a town I had also never heard of up to
A Town Where Strange Things Happen Read More »
Hello… Static….error Hello, is this damn thing on, how in the hell… Static….error This is Captain William Brink…. Static…. Ok, got it. This is Captain William Brinkman of Boson Fleet Nova transmitting. We’re on an exploration and retrieval mission for Tula 13. We’re scheduled to arrive on the planet in
The Lost Transmissions of Captain William Brinkman Read More »
Samantha told me about it on our third date. We were watching a movie on her couch when I made my move to kiss her. She whipped her hand in front of my face and blocked me. “There’s something you need to know,” she said. I braced myself. Here it comes.
My Wife Has a Removable Face Read More »
It was one of those nights where nothing went according to plan. An evening out with friends, but I couldn’t find a parking spot anywhere around the place. Two blocks down the street, then hustling through the chill, puffing breath like smoke. All that only to discover I’d shown up
From Inside a Human Zoo Read More »
“Drip, drip, drip…” The sound of crystalline orbs of sweat dripping from my skin delivered an internal soundscape. The first few moments, I wasn’t bothered, but the repetition became increasingly unpleasant – especially when combined with the intense heat; a feeling reminiscent of a campfire invading my privacy. Needless to
No one knows where it came from. No one knows why it showed up in our little town, of all places. The only thing we knew for sure was that it was bizarre. The statue appeared in the town square about 2 weeks ago. It sits in the
Small Town Mysteries Read More »
Old houses have a spirit of their own. We don’t usually notice during the day when the sun is warm and the windows are open. Fresh breeze carries familiar scents from the garden and the flowering jasmine vines snaking their way through the crumbling stonework. There is always too much
The House That No One Built Read More »
Recently my great-grandfather died and me and my family inherited his house. We didn’t actually need it, since it was in another state, so we decided to sell it and use that money for something else. But before that we decided that we should clean the house out and get
The Siege of Innsmouth Read More »
There are few left alive who remember the Song and Dance Man. Time has claimed the ones that survived the long night and I’m sure they went willingly to meet their maker. Life takes on a strange tint after a night like that. The ones still left – Bill Parker,
The Song and Dance Man Read More »
“Holy shit! Is that what I think it is?” Brandon’s eyes widened into saucers and, despite being filled with an unabated rage towards his older brother just a few hours ago, Michael couldn’t help but smile and nod at the expected reaction. Even with everything that had happened earlier in
Emilie, Stan and I enjoyed our grandmother’s tales. During school breaks, Mom and Dad drove the three of us to her home in Plimmerton. It was a small coastal village, an hour’s drive north of Wellington. Everything about the place was tiny. It was simple. There were three cafes. There
The Ember Smell of Winter Read More »
As a code enforcement officer, I’m not well-liked by the citizens of Winter Garden, Florida. Most of the time people tend to get upset when you tell them something about their property violates the standards of the City. I’ve only been doing this job about six months now, while most
There was nothing strange about Amber. She wasn’t too tall or too short. She was of average height and weight. She wasn’t ugly but she wasn’t pretty either and her grades, although passing, were never top marks. She lived in an average house, with an average family, in an average
There’s an old, abandoned mission in the hills west of Tucumcari, New Mexico. It’s about a 3-hour hike from the nearest access point by car. It’s not marked on any map and there’s no clear trail to it, but if you had a day or two to spend searching, you
