“Once upon a time, there was a big bad wolf–” “Mom!” Heather cried out loudly, cutting her twin sister off. “She’s doing it again!” The girls’ mother, Tracy, appeared at the door, flicking on the light and mock-glaring at the two beds across the room. Heather was...
Who else could’ve asked for a more perfect Christmas morning? The skies not quite dark yet not quite bright, snowflakes gently pelting against the windows, the fireplace giving a warm, comforting glow, and the tree itself sparkling with glitter and multi-colored lights (in this case,...
Aggie circled the address and folded up the paper. It had taken almost seven years for the Pittsburgh Observer to return listing real estate in their Saturday edition. Luckily with the recession having decreased enough to beckon a mini housing boom back to the Pittsburgh...
My great aunt Mildred absolutely adored yard sales. That woman could haggle a tortoise from its shell. I tagged along a lot because she kept me while my parents were at work. She'd let me pick random junk, and she was an expert haggler when...
I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to sleep. Sleep has eluded me for several days at this point, but to sleep is to give up and let guilt destroy me. That’s what I call it anyway, guilt. It was as plausible an explanation as any...
Last week I was alone in my bed. I’m not alone tonight. He’s right next to me. He’s not supposed to be here, though. Last week I was a senior in high school and completely in love with Steven Hooverson. Truth be told, I’ve been in...
“Breaker one-nine, breaker one-nine.” BOOLEEP. Nothing. “Breaker one-nine. Anyone copy?” BOOLEEP. Glen took a swipe at my hand as I attempted to key up the base station radio mic once more. “Give it up,” he belched. “You lost another one, man.” He crumpled his empty can of MGD onto...
There was roadkill all up and down the highway this morning. It is nine AM and sunlight is sifting through the treetops. The lake is still and black and crawling with bugs. Thin grass grows beside it, tamped down by the boots of men I’ve never...
John began working in my office in late October. He started on a Thursday. He sat at the desk opposite mine, which had been empty since Julia had gone on maternity leave. He turned on the computer and slid his satchel, which had the name ‘John...
I used to think everyone had an inner voice. A little disembodied narrator that, when unfocused, sounded familiar yet not. But something we could take from our own voice and turn into that of a celebrity, a cartoon character or whatever we wished. So it was...
I’ll say it plain; The acquisition of Nazi party member Wernher von Braun was not the most heinous action NASA committed. Not by a long shot. By the time I’m done here, you will not look up at the sky in the same way. I want to...
I should preface this by stating that I’m not much of a smoker. Wow, amazing tone to set on a 4/20 experience, right? I just don’t wanna lie to you, not when discussing the shit that went down. I’ve finally focused enough to talk, I...
I’ve lived in this town all my life, I know all the weird traditions that come with living in a place as remote as mine. But nothing explains what happens at our Deer Park. I used to come out here most evenings during the pandemic, park...
It is as it sounds. Incredulous as it may be, I promise there is an explanation within. I’ve been the Sheriff of a little town called Sturgeon for nearly 23 years. In that time, I’ve seen many a horrific incident descend upon our town, fall out...
Wendel pulled at the vines, damp with dew, that were in his way. He had been trudging through the trees since sundown. The air held a dampness and a chill, but he still sweated with the exertion of making this journey. It was not something...
Henry stepped towards the witch, torch blazing in his hand. He smiled at the sight of her being tied to the stake. They were wrapping her in iron chains this time. She wouldn’t be escaping, not again. No one else’s family would die by her...
Dan stepped towards the water’s edge with a smile and a stretch. “It really is beautiful out here. Thanks for inviting me.” “Don’t,” David said, grabbing his arm. Dan looked down at the arm on his, then up to the man it belonged to, meeting his all...
“We’ve been out here all day. I don’t understand how we haven’t so much as seen the beast,” William said from his seat on a fallen tree. Birds cawed from somewhere off in the distance, but the woods were otherwise silent. He sipped the ale...
There was a time once when my life was more like what most would call normal. I don’t remember when that was, but it’s only logical to assume that before pills, punk rock and pussy, there was a bout of normalcy for Mister Gillean Rush. ...
I don’t go into the woods. There are things in there, things that drive my anxiety through the roof at the mere thought of coming close to them. A casual hiker may not notice them, lying low and deep within the surrounding foliage. On a...
