“It’s fairies,” the exterminator said. “Nothing I can do with fairies, they’re protected y’see.” He locked the attic door after himself. “You’ll just need to live with it.” “I can’t live with it. They’re interfering with everything.” “Nothing I can do,” he said. “They’re protected. Touch their nest and you’re breaking the law. If it […]
“It’s there,” said Alice, pointing a dirty finger towards a patch of soft, moldering earth. “Are you sure?” I hated to question her, but memories could be unreliable and facts blurred, especially in cases like this. “Do you think I could forget?” Alice hissed, her eyes bruised and wide and wounded. “Don’t you believe me?” […]
Ok, let me get this straight. I know who stole it but nobody believes me! I’m Lucille McDonald, I’m 5 years old, and no, I’m not crazy! It all started after Halloween night. I had gotten so much candy! 25 Milky Ways, 15 Twizzlers, 30 Tootsie Rolls, and 9 Airheads, to be exact. But the […]
A bit of camera trickery representing the joy of receiving a special gift
I took a deep breath and began my walk down the long driveway, the candles shining from the bellies of the pumpkins lighting my way. As I neared the front door, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window. Red patterns hugged my dress, spread out almost in a beautiful way. They curled around my waist, snaked around my […]
The hourglass sat upon the mantelpiece reflecting the blue moonlight that trickled across the room. The sand within it was a contrasting red, which dropped a grain occasionally to the base. It was almost finished, maybe a handful of sand left to fall to the bottom. Since the first day it was taken into the […]
Gold-colored sky atop mountains. “We know you,” he says in a somber whisper. His voice shakes, standing on unstable earth. His legs speak in a whimper. They are shackled. They are new. Yet they fear the haze hiding behind clouds atop mountains. There, above, lives space. So empty, so… humble. There we search for screams. […]
In a poor, hierarchical country like Colombia, it is a rare thing to come from humble circumstances and be studying for a doctor’s degree in Economics. With a scholarship in Logan, Utah, Brigitte left her mother and me in August 2021. She’ll be back as a PhD in 2026.
Hell’s End Nursing Home evokes many sensations, from goosebumps skittering over my skin, to the need to constantly look over my shoulder, certain someone watches me. Named after the mining village, the home was converted from a semi-derelict building that had stood empty for decades. There’s only a handful of residents – perhaps they pick […]
She laid crumpled at her mother’s door so long her tears dried but the door remained firmly locked. “Mommy,” the little girl whispered. She wouldn’t dare actually raise her voice and wake her mother; she’d likely be spanked. Again. The darkness was better. “Ugh!” she cried, standing up with sudden courage and heading down the […]
The world changed two years ago with COVID. This is my daughter, and she has Autism. It makes sudden change hard in the best of times. But she did it, she graduated junior high! All completed virtually. Gravity may keep us grounded but she still makes the choice to jump.
“You know ghosts are real, Curt,” Tara teases. “I have scientific proof, too!” Curt is hardly listening to that claim, more focused on her hair, so dark and slick that the moonlight bounces off it with a glimmer. “You’re lying. Save the scary stories for the Halloween party tomorrow.” “You wish I were lying, scaredy […]
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Contest - Scary - Halloween Fun!
