GEORGE • by SJ Bryars
I sit on the bottom stair of the empty house, sold sign standing by the hedge. Every item is rehomed or lying deep inside landfill on the edge of town. I can smell George’s snuff and spicy aftershave before I… Continue Reading
ghosts
AFTER THEY DRAINED THE RESERVOIR • by George McComas
A week after they drained the reservoir, the dead returned to the glen. The first reports came from contractors hired to dismantle the old dam. They spoke to the local paper about corpses in the glen, walking the newly exposed… Continue Reading
EDGE OF LIFE • by Martha J Allard
The fade began at the very edge of Nan’s life. Like an old photo, left in the sun. The colors of her peripheral vision began to wash out. She made a note to get her eyes checked. But her eyes… Continue Reading
MATCHED • by Bob DeRosa
I understood the swiping, I’m not an idiot. I’d dated my share of guys, but the stakes were so much higher this time around. I would swipe right and as soon as someone else did, we’d be in this thing.… Continue Reading
THE FACES • by Lisa Farrell
There was no way we’d reach the next town before nightfall. Hunter was shuffling through the leaves, eyes half-closed, muttering curses to himself. We’d have to spend the night among the trees. Our music would have kept us safe, but… Continue Reading
THE CHAIR • by Colten Kamlade
I rarely sit in the old chair. It’s not uncomfortable, nor is it covered in cat hair or dust. It’s a lovely chair. A chair in which one could read or write, play cards or meditate. It’s deep cushioned and… Continue Reading
IF WE CAN JUST GET TO THE CABIN BEFORE… • by Jonathan Worlde
It was approaching midnight as Marsha, an ER nurse, piloted the Toyota sedan along the winding country road. Today’s rain had left the air misty, with steam rising from the warm road. The temperature was falling. Marsha just wanted to… Continue Reading
THE LIBRARY GHOST • by Lauryn Mercredi
Oscar stood in the atrium of the central branch of the city library. It was midnight and the only illumination came from amber lights along the walls and the red Exit signs, creating a surreal glow. Oscar inhaled the slight… Continue Reading
WOOD SMOKE AND FROST • by Maggie M. Walcott
She looked up from the warm cup of coffee held between both hands, her gaze following the steam wisps snaking upward, both involuntarily drawn toward and out the parted window. The window itself was old and should have been replaced… Continue Reading
I’M GETTING OFF THE BUS! • by Jane Brown
Down McLaren, right on First. Argh, I know this friggin’ bus route off by heart. Haunt a bus, they said; it’ll be fun, they said. Sure, it’s fun for late-night-thrills but the monotony is going to make me lose it.… Continue Reading