Unfinished Business

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by Mendel Mire

 

“You see now why we need your help, Father?” Jack asked.

The priest wiped the vomit from his lips, surveying the carnage in the town square. Some buildings had been tossed across the street. Others obliterated entirely. The bodies of townsfolk were smeared across the rubble, like a bloody lacquer of skin, flesh, and bone. It was all too clear why the famous Jack the Giant Killer had sought his assistance.

“Perhaps we should have foreseen this,” Jack continued. “Giants have souls too. It was just a matter of time before my work would give rise to a giant poltergeist.”

Mendel Mire

Mendel Mire is an Australian academic researcher living in the United States. He has a PhD in comparative anatomy and studies animal biology while assisting with dissections and mentoring university students. He enjoys writing sci-fi/horror/dark fantasy and designs speculative ecosystems and scientifically plausible creatures for kicks. He can be found on Twitter @MendelMire

Huge Mistake

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by Evan Baughfman

 

Dr Moranis grinned as his growth ray morphed a meagre fig into a monster atop the auditorium stage.

His demonstration complete, Moranis stepped beside the fruit, now the size of a Volkswagen Bug. “Imagine,” he said, “an entire village fed for days on a single piece of locally-grown food.”

His investors applauded. Cheered. Screamed.

For a parade of enlarged insects had suddenly burst free of the ripened orb, their residency inside unknown to Moranis until that very moment.

Gargantuan fig wasps swarmed stunned spectators.

Confused by people’s colourful attire, the creatures attempted to pollinate every shrieking flower they could find.

Evan Baughfman

Evan Baughfman is a middle school teacher and author. Much of his writing success has been as a playwright. A number of his scripts can be found at online resources, Drama Notebook and New Play Exchange. Evan also writes horror fiction and screenplays. More information is available at amazon.com/author/evanbaughfman

Remembrance

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by S Jade Path

 

Remembrance Tech’s tour group milled about. Servers wove smoothly between, offering golden, sparkling wines. The tour wouldn’t begin until the last drop was licked from their lips—but they didn’t know that.

While the wine did its work, Clio chatted with several clients, subtly priming.

Walk the facility, show off the memory extractors, storage options—a plash of something showy with nitrogen; the tech sold itself.

The clients sipped glasses of oblivion, signing away their memories, paying for the privilege.

Smiling, Clio tapped out a text.

Looking at her phone, Mnemosyne laughed. Rising, a new kind of Titan.

 

S Jade Path

S Jade Path is a fledgling author of small fiction and a prolific creator of dark poetry. She has had a life-long obsession with crawling into the depths of the psyche and forging shadows into words. Her work parallels this penchant for delving into the fantastical and strolling amongst demons.  Follow her on Facebook: SJadePath

Mighty Minions

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by John H. Dromey

 

While the house shook like a road train crossing a speed hump, a visitor asked his host, “Is this an earthquake?”

“No, just some construction work being done next door. My neighbour conjured up several mythical creatures to help him. A satyr is inspecting the roof of his garage, for example. Being half goat, the hairy fellow’s really surefooted.”

“What’s making that terrible racket and causing the ground to tremble?”

“He’s also replacing his driveway. Since he’s too cheap to rent a jackhammer to break up the asphalt, he’s having that done by a couple of Golems on pogo sticks.”

John H. Dromey

John H. Dromey was born in northeast Missouri, USA. In addition to contributing to the first ten BHP anthologies in the Dark Drabbles series, he previously had a drabble published online in Dark Moments. He also has a story in the anthology Beyond the Realm (Black Hare Press, 2020).

The Dome by K. Roy

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Enter if you dare, for The Dome is more than just a house—it’s a living, breathing entity with a will of its own.

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Takeover

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by Nerisha Kemraj

 

“Run, Billy!” Dad said, trying to hold off the droids, a true rebel.

His father had prepped him for this, but Billy never thought the time would come.

“Mom! The machine men are here!” He slammed the front door and noticed the back door broken off its hinges. They were already inside.

“Billy!” Mom screamed from upstairs.

He ran into her open arms.

“Mom! The bunker. Now!”

Just then the bedroom door flew open, and out walked a droid—his mother’s head in its hands, her blood dripping on the floor.

 

Billy gasped for air as the droid squeezed tighter.

 

Nerisha Kemraj

Nerisha Kemraj resides in Durban, South Africa, with her husband and two mischievous daughters. While poetry has been a love since high school, she began writing short stories in 2016. A lover of dark fiction, she has over 100 short stories and poems published both in print and online and also received an Honourable Mention Award in the Fujisan Taisho 2019 Tanka Contest.
Nerisha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from University of South Africa.

Visit her Facebook page @Nerishakemrajwriter. 

System3011-01

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by Meera Dandekar

 

The dark alley felt more like home and reality hit me. What was the point of running? Nothing was going to make the sinking feeling of void leave my chest.

A robotic voice outed me; my location pinged on every broadcasting frequency.

The white, powder-coated, metallic subhuman flew in to arrest me. My crime didn’t feel so serious anymore. It wasn’t like it was alive—it’s just metal.

I tased the machine and it broke down. A hologram flashed the best memories of my childhood. I read the label—System3011-01. The first of many.

My father was a great inventor.

 

Meera Dandekar

Meera Dandekar, currently living in Mumbai, India, loves to explore fictional worlds showing the magical realm and wants to visit Derry, Maine—the scariest place in the world. She has a definite admiration for the written word. Befriend her by offering her some coffee, she definitely loves a great brew!

STORMING AREA 51 – Is REALLY Out of This World!

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If you’ve ever wanted to travel out of this world and explore the great solar system that is out there for the young creative mind, now’s the chance! Well, kind of. Some of the world’s luckiest writers are going to get a chance to send their writing to the moon on the Peregrine Mission in the form of a time capsule. It’ll be the ultimate option for those who want their work to be immortalised throughout time.

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Filth by Joseph Meyer

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A reflection of the delicate balance between mind, body, and soul.

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