by Mike Rader I heard them climbing the stairs. Tourists. Mayday Hills Asylum attracted the morbid to Beechworth. I waited on the second floor of that Victorian pile. In the bathroom. Where each tub has a sturdy wooden cover. Back in the day, only an inmate’s head was visible when the attendants poured scalding […]
by L.J. McLeod Wendy hated the morgue. As the hospital’s night cleaner, it fell to her to keep it spotless. But that didn’t make it any less creepy. The silence felt heavy and the smell of cold corpse hung in the air as she mopped. Tonight’s storm only made it feel more oppressive. Lights […]
Dialogue Competition Runners-up
An exploration of extreme dedication, homicidal mental illness, and the hunt for the Sinistra―the Witches of the Left Hand―who serve the Medusa Cult.
by Colleen Anderson Daiyu gasped. This rare discovery—a complete warrior’s burial chamber—ensured her career trajectory. She pulled a carved jade amulet off the leathery mummy’s chest. The lantern flickered, the chamber echoing with more than falling water. Howling whooshed up the tunnel. Misty apparitions sliced her like freezing knives as she tried to block […]
A letter from Abigail’s grandmother shatters her world, forcing her to confront a painful truth about her past.
A lonely young man longs to escape the boredom of living in a small seaside town, but finds himself sucked into a bizarre ritual sacrifice that reveals the true nature of his imprisonment.
In a world decimated by catastrophe, a lone warrior emerges. With unparalleled skills and an unwavering resolve, he navigates through the remnants of civilization, leaving destruction in his wake.
Two daring grave robbers embark on a risky venture to secure a fast fortune. But their illicit pursuits take a chilling turn when they stumble upon the ominous legend of The Devil’s Chair—a cursed seat that beckons the infernal presence itself.
In the heart of rural Maine, Nick seeks solitude for his writing in a quaint cottage. But his fragile peace is shattered when noxious fumes begin to rise from the locked cellar.