The object sat between the exposed roots of the massive oak tree. It was roughly the size and shape of a large egg and had a bright metallic sheen — every few seconds the metallic sheen would disappear and be… Continue Reading
Understatement was the order of the day in the Upper Cholmondley town hall; it had to be. “My tea!” exclaimed the chubby mayor as the over-sugared contents of his fine eggshell teacup swirled upwards. “Got it.” Mr. Barnaby used a… Continue Reading
Christmas Eve. I’m in my car, trying to sleep, when the sound of Karen Carpenter singing makes me sit up. I unzip my sleeping bag, wipe condensation from the windscreen and there she is, standing under a streetlight, not thirty… Continue Reading
Two ships pass in the night, and try in vain to transfer cargo, hampered by fog and darkness. “Son of a BITCH!” one captain growls, a lean, restless woman, green eyes and a pierced eyebrow, t-shirt reading Hard Rock Cafe:… Continue Reading
Billy found the keys in his dad’s truck one day, shortly after they shuttered the kitchen store and the place that once sold bargain books. His dad had changed light fixtures, mended walls, and tightened pipes for five years, but… Continue Reading
Charles refused to go. Calliope insisted. Since waking this morning, he understood it had something to do with the witch thing. He sensed Calliope bolting upright in their bed, heard her astonished whisper. “Of course, the Winter Solstice! Return of… Continue Reading
Bernard Dudinski was an idiot and there was no savant about it. He picked up the paperweight to examine the tooth encased within it at a closer angle. He was convinced it was his own. Bernard had a perfect smile — which… Continue Reading
Somewhere deep in the trackless North Woods, amateur rock collectors — “rockhounds” — Frank Yontz and Bud Klassen made an unsought discovery, the biggest of their lives… “Frank, we’ve got remains.” The lichen-encrusted rock Bud rolled away revealed a hairy… Continue Reading
The man limped as he entered Skin Arts tattoo parlor. Hector only noticed because the shop was empty that early in the afternoon. Men didn’t generally come in wearing a suit and tie. He flipped his magazine closed, stuffed it under the counter,… Continue Reading
I swallowed the key to the door of your bedroom. It was the one you had given me years ago, slender and toothy and that rattled in the creaking brass lock whenever I slipped it in. When I looked in… Continue Reading