Thanksgiving. My least favorite time of year, a holiday dedicated to the ancient art of overeating in the name of familial “bonding.” But this year, for the second time in a row, I was the poor sap hosting, and let me tell you, I was...
Part I Henry Ashford sat alone in his small, dimly lit apartment, staring blankly at the television, though he hadn’t registered anything on the screen in hours. The dull, relentless whine in his ears drowned out any hope of following the plot of whatever movie he’d...
Mike Gilbert paused before driving under the deer skull. Carved vines twisted along the arch at the entrance to Undergrove Salvage, with the bone-white skull centered at the top. He flicked a cigarette butt onto the road, then stepped on the gas. His Ford F-150...
Darren was a little weird, but I didn’t realize how weird until it was too late. He came to our school at the beginning of fourth grade. The minute I met him, I knew he was going to have it tough in school. He always wore a...
Part I Alright, let me start with this: I’m not here to rant about technology or preach about privacy or whatever. I’m not even here to convince you not to download DreamShare—I know most of you probably already have it. But if you haven’t…well, you might want...
Some things you see, you can’t unsee, no matter how hard you try. I’ve spent months replaying that afternoon in my head, asking myself if it was even real. But every time I close my eyes, I remember Donovan—what happened to him. How fast it...
Martin Finch leaned back in his worn leather chair, the familiar creak echoing softly in the quiet of his antique shop. At 55, Martin was a man of routine. Every morning, he arrived precisely at eight, unlocking the shop’s heavy wooden door to welcome the...
The Peddler Man, The Peddler Man Could Bring You Delights or an Old Tin Can There Will Be Nothing to Lack When the Peddler Man Opens His Sack My grandfather was the first to encounter The Peddler Man. He would often tell us stories of sitting on his porch,...
June smiled at her reflection in the hotel mirror, her skin glistening from the shower. It was their second anniversary, and she was in a good mood as she prepared to surprise her husband. She had been planning this since he’d told her that work...
646 – Kingdom of Silla Queen Seondeok stood at her window and watched the night sky while considering the betrayal of Kim Bidam, chairman of the council of nobles. “Emperor Taizong is behind this! I know it!” Gim Chun-Chu, her normally composed diplomatic nephew, yelled while angrily...
Part I Listen, before I start—if anyone finds this, if anyone reads this, you need to know something. I shouldn’t be talking about this. It’s been ten years since that night, and I’ve kept my mouth shut like I promised, even when I wanted to scream...
Nestled beneath her favorite quilt, embroidered with flowers and hummingbirds, Madeline was stirred awake by something she couldn’t quite yet place. It was 2:37 am, and she should still be asleep, but yet here she was, staring up at the dozens of plastic translucent stars...
“This thing is malfunctioning again!” shouted Eric, pounding the controls of the neurostimulator. Little by little, the youth’s limbic system lumbered into action, and the physiological markers of anger started to manifest themselves: increases in heart rate, arterial tension, and testosterone production. However, the silicone...
Part I Nick sat in the cockpit of the small Cessna, his fingers curling around the yoke as the plane vibrated with the steady hum of the engine. It was his seventh lesson with Colton, and despite the growing familiarity with the controls, his pulse quickened...
It was tough coming of age in West Belfast during the early 70s, that’s for sure. I’m not making excuses for myself, but – like many in my generation – I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I grew up in a...
They say the victors write history, but that’s just the outcome of one possible timeline. Sometimes in war, as in peace, some things are better remembered, lest history repeat itself. Then again, in the far reaches of believability, some things are better left forgotten –...
Chapter 1 Ethan Hull’s eyes scanned the crowded emergency room of Forestview Medical Center, his mind already in overdrive despite the shift having only just begun. The ER was packed, as usual, with the unmistakable chaos of a Monday morning. Nurses and doctors darted between curtained-off...
Look, I’m not saying my closet is haunted. I’m just saying… there’s no logical explanation for what’s been happening. It started the week we moved into the new house. Kelvin and I found this place during one of those spontaneous "we need a bigger place before...
They will not let me go. I don’t know for how long I have been held a prisoner here, nor to what ends my captors hold me for. If I had the strength still, I’d have fought them. Heaven knows I try now, but something...
From the filthy and obscure lodging, situated, I verily believe, in one of the foulest slums of Clerkenwell, I indite this history of a life which, daily threatened, cannot last for very much longer. Every day, nay, every hour, I know too well my enemies...
