It awoke to the sounds of bootfalls on rocks. Voices followed. Someone had come into its cave again. It listened. “Matt! Look out for the camera!” “I’m looking! I’m looking!” “I could put that in my bag, you know.” “And let it get crushed by your two tons of gear? ...
In some ways, it is terrifying to imagine just how close the town of Marchington came to obliteration by the tentacles of a demonic cephalopod. THE END It was finished. Months of toil had finally given way to Marty’s latest masterpiece. Of his eighteen novels to...
Vestwell Subway was a pedestrian tunnel which ran beneath the busy A37, linking East Lydford with West. A notorious accident blackspot, few ever chose to use it, preferring to risk life and limb crossing the road above. Indeed, many fatalities had been recorded at the...
I was running as fast as I could, but I knew it was gaining on me. I swear it was trying to step in every puddle so I knew it was running faster. I turned my head where I could see it. Its arms were...
The town my wife Violet was raised in is almost unremarkable. You won’t find it on any ‘Best of’ lists or see it signified on any map or atlas. She said she was happy as heaven to get out of there when we met. I...
In the beginning, what we did was beautiful. It all started in 345 when Saint Nicholas supposedly “died.” Or at least, that was the story given out. What a bad joke. As if a man who could resurrect pickled meat into living breathing children would ever...
I grew up in a family that always struggled with money. I wish I could say we made the best of our situation, but that would be the worst kind of lie: the kind that lets my father off the hook. He was a destructive,...
My chair tilts back as I scroll through the horror forum posts. There’s not one thing that I’ve read or watched that has so much as quickened my heart rate. I dejectedly set my phone aside, knowing there’s nothing I’ll find here. Horror’s not like...
As you may or may not know, I do investigative journalism regarding various unscrupulous business practices. My byline is generally ignored, so I can imagine not many but a small few are aware of my work. However, it is important that in this matter I...
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...
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...
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...
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...
When the wave of virus pandemics in the 2020s and 2030s made travel abroad impossible, I really missed it. It felt like a First World problem, complaining about a lack of holidays. I mean, it’s not like I’d died, got any lingering illnesses, or lost anyone...
There are two kinds of people in my town- people who loved Mara’s Sweets and Such, and people who thought Mara was the worst person in existence and that anyone that bought her baked goods were the worst. The bakery didn’t exist when I went off...
As much as James loved the hunt, the prep work that needed to be done beforehand was always a bit tedious. He had to find a door that was relatively secluded and could be easily secured, not within sight of any security cameras, and preferably...
My grandpa Chuck is a Baby Boomer, and without a doubt, the most quintessentially Boomer thing my grandpa does is maintain a ‘display room.’ It’s basically a second living room, except instead of IKEA, it’s filled with artisanal, luxury European furnishings, which no one is...
I’m sure you’ve seen the headlines by now. Seen and probably forgot about, since the news cycle has already left them behind for whatever you’re supposed to be outraged about and terrified of this week. In case you actually did forget, allow me to refresh your...
The rain was already coming down hard when Oliver Mason had gotten the call that his presence was required immediately at Avalon Asylum. He was at first quite bewildered by this since Oliver Mason was not a doctor but the proprietor of a men’s clothing...
So I found this Santa Claus card last night. It blew right into my ankle as I was walking around the downtown area of my city. The colors were faded, but not enough to where I couldn’t make out the letters and numbers. The background...
