13 Mar The Hell Experiment
My name is David. For as long as I can remember, I couldn’t think of anything to be more ashamed of than my dad. I was a preacher’s son, you see, and my dad always made sure to make me feel awful about something in my...
12 Mar Dark Skies Trampoline Park
I first heard the name “Gravity Sphere” uttered at an awards ceremony for my seven-year-old son Joey. The assistant principal, a hefty forty-something woman named Huffner, was rifling through a jar that had small shreds of paper with children’s names on it so she could randomly...
11 Mar The Death Cruise
You’ll be told it was an accident. A freak storm that ravaged the Dominican Republic before slamming into us. You might even get to see pictures. Doctored ones showing a menagerie of stragglers being rescued off the coast of the Caymans. That’s if they decide to share anything...
10 Mar Kill Bot
When the pandemic hit, I was sure that I would be out on the street before the end of the first month. I work in a high-profile business, but most of us aren’t in a position to get unemployment. The contracts they make us sign...
09 Mar Essence
Lee was proud of his first apartment. He would have been more proud had he been able to share it with Alyssa, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. He hoped it would come in time if he was patient. They had been dating since...
08 Mar Rain of Fire
Randy’s eyes darted from the television news broadcast to the actual horror happening outside his window. The voice of the newscaster said, “Major cities all around the globe,” as Randy watched flaming rocks rain from the sky. Before his eyes, they pounded cars into nothing...
07 Mar The Plunge
Wes didn’t care that it was dark. He didn’t care that it was cold. He didn’t care that he was miles from home. He just cared about getting away, about clearing his head. He wanted to be free under the stars for a while. He...
06 Mar A Nightmarish Reunion
Corey was at the bar getting himself another old-fashioned with an Irish stout chaser when he stopped to look towards the back of the bar. He saw someone on his way up from the outside smoking patio, someone that looked familiar, but he couldn’t place...
02 Mar It’s Out There
Dave pulled up in front of his friend Ryan’s trailer. He was glad for Ryan when he got land and got out of the trailer park but now that he had to drive out here in the dark after a cryptic text message, he decided...
17 Jan Uncle Howard’s Cabin
When I was a little boy, my fondest summer memories were spending time in the north woods at my Uncle Howard’s. He had this rustic old cabin surrounded by nothing but pure nature. The local hunters called it Howard’s Hideout. Every time my brother John and...
16 Jan The Cancer in the Walls
Growing up with asthma was always a little challenging, but having a dad that smoked two packs a day made it even harder. Mom would always chastise him for the bad habit, and he would always claim that he would go cold turkey. It was a...
15 Jan Deep Dark Sea
I am recording this message to sort out my thoughts and provide the most accurate information I can to those on the surface. I apologize if it is not the most cohesive possible. Given the circumstances I am facing, it is the best that I...
14 Jan Out With the Old
I know most of you are probably heading off to get a few drinks with friends and pass the night away watching the ball drop from the comforts of your couch, and if so, I applaud you for not having a care in the world...
17 Dec The Town that Dreaded Snowfall
I was headed toward the airport to catch a flight, driving down a country road that my GPS claimed would serve as a shortcut when my luck officially ran out. A sudden flat tire caused me to swerve off the road, slamming my rental car into...
17 Dec The Last Voyage of the Rouse Simmons and Its Aftermath
In the late 1800s, set against the raw beauty of Lake Michigan, if you looked across the water, you would often see a dazzling spectacle. Sleek, three-masted schooners were running smoothly on a western wind day in and day out before the days of motor vehicles....
16 Dec Chaos Pagentry (The Nativity)
Everyone in town knew my family, the Bowers. We are considered cornerstones by some. Never wavering in any community activity. Until this year. We experienced a tragedy, one that only now with the holidays past us I can talk about. It’s an event that changed the meaning of this...
04 Dec The Mermaid’s Game
Darren stood at the bow of the boat, staring at the beautiful topless woman that floated and bobbed in the water nearby, her fire-red hair fanning out into the sea around her. She was smiling at him. It was the most gorgeous smile he had...
03 Dec Damned Payphone – Christmas Break – 1986
Gary came out of his house, letting the screen door slam behind him. His best bud/ultimate nemesis, Ray, was waiting on his bicycle at the edge of his lawn. Gary ignored the spitballs Ray was sending his way and went around the side of his...
30 Nov Garden Angel
Marisa had the nightmare again. It was the same as always; she was only seven or eight years old. She was at the big park down the block, and there was an enormous garden with a hedge maze. At the entrance to the maze stood...
21 Nov The Christmas Gift
Donald opened the front door, looking for who rang. There was no one on the porch of the big house or the walkway below. He looked around, eyes scanning the street, but he saw no one. Maybe some teenagers were playing their pranks, but Christmas...