They were never even supposed to be here. Forty-seven kilometers past the Arctic Circle, the lone helicopter neared its target. According to the classified reports she’d been graciously given, the facility wasn’t even supposed to exist. Even from this angle, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see...
The downtown library was always a comfort to me as a young schoolboy. Often getting picked on by bullies, I would hide away in the recesses of the stories I found there, imagining a lifetime of adventures I could never have. Perhaps my favorite collection of works...
I never met Charlie Bowman. Not that I expected to, in a company the size of this one; the chances of ever rubbing shoulders with the CEO are probably astronomical. Still, he was the one who always signed my checks every payday, so when the news...
The following personal ad was discovered among a myriad of others on a dark web forum. It was connected to a local string of murders by the Rochester Coast Police Department. It is being made public at the request of the Chief of Police. Any...
I cannot deny that my chosen profession is one of great fascination and—truth be told—amusement for myself. I am sure the same does not always hold true for the clients I serve, but that is of no consequence of concern for yours truly. I am...
He’s talking again. Why is he talking? Jesus Christ. And my tie. Feels so goddamn tight. Like I’m being choked to death. Maybe if I just stick my finger in there, pull it out more. Get some fucking relief. But I already did that. God...
No coverage, not even one bar. The battery was dead anyway. It was still daytime, but it was overcast, and the sky had a perfectly even dullness so there was no way to tell what time of day it was, much less which direction was...
I found the place one night after an especially heated argument with my ex. Now, I’ve never actually been the type for guns, but something about the venue interested me when I passed it by. I think it was the privacy. Open 24 hours, the bright glimmering...
“Summer homes are for rich people, Allen.” I’ve been known to spend money on things that I don’t need. Sometimes it can be hard to determine which products are necessities and which are simply desires. My wife Brittany is usually the one who keeps my head on straight,...
“Imagine you were alive in the 1980s, and you were told that computers would soon control everything related to life. From shopping to dating, to even supercomputers in the palm of your hand or an international invisible network that connected you to literally anyone on...
Technology is changing at a rapid pace, so fast that some even say it’s frightening. I got a chance to experience this nightmare firsthand just a few weeks back when I was given the opportunity to test out a new autonomous vehicle for my company. At first,...
Would you believe that three simple gold tokens changed my life? They clattered to the bottom of the arcade machine, and the screen in front of me turned from dark blue to a splash of pixelated orange and yellow. Rhythmic sounds beat out from the speakers on...
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...
I’m on the lookout for a new job, but I think it’s time that I got a job that has nothing at all to do with IT. I mean nothing. No computers. No keyboards, mice, motherboards, wired networks, wireless networks. Definitely no PEBKAC (look it...
In between the mozzarella sticks and the second course, I’m thinking about dying. I don’t think of anyone or anything in particular, and I most especially am not thinking about myself. I happen to like life most of the time, and as far as I know,...
