by John Dougherty I guess I never really knew him. He left after two years, with apologies but no explanations. I didn’t tell him I was pregnant. If he wanted to leave, I didn’t want him to stay. When he left, the neighbours’ pets stopped disappearing. I didn’t make the connection then. Four years later. […]
by Tracy Davidson She guides hunters. She knows these woods well. Every tree, every trail, every spot the bears have passed. All the well-hidden dens. Sleeping mothers and their cubs. Easy prey. She says she doesn’t care such hunts are illegal. If they tip well. In advance. The hunters happily do so. They don’t know […]
by Jeff Currier “Why’d they send him down here—record’s clean,” Azazel groused, eyeing the mangled soul. Galzuel tapped the tablet, “Notation says: ‘Too dumb for Heaven’.” “But where to put him?” “With pogo-stick-frogger-on-the-autobahn guy?” “No, his stupidity killed twelve additional people.” “How about drank-bleach-to-prevent-Covid gal.” “She was bigoted—didn’t love her neighbours.” “He’s definitely not a […]
by Kristin Lennox Sid was neither fat nor claustrophobic, which made him the perfect burglar. His MO was to canvas a house, then slip into its walls at night, waiting for opportunity. Wedged between chimney and air duct, Sid heard the promising sound of the door lock, followed by a retreating SUV. Showtime. Sid tried […]
by L.B. Zinger January 21, midnight, -40 degrees. Twenty mph winds out of the northwest howled at the windows of the patrol car. The heater coughed and choked, barely keeping up. The cops spied two figures huddled against one of the high mast steel lights on the overpass. “Look!” Dan pointed to the dark shapes […]
by Juliann Wetz “Skunk!” Chuck raced into a nearby pond to wash off the stench. The January water was icy. Chuck scrubbed himself vigorously, then emerged from the water to discover that his keys had fallen out of his pocket. Chuck ran to the edge of the pond, but it was no use; those keys […]
by C.L. Sidell “Mikey! What have I told you about running with sharp objects?” “Sorry,” Mikey replied. Jesse swiped the scissors from Mikey’s pudgy fist and turned. “And stop chasing your brother around the house.” Jesse rolled his eyes as he stepped towards the kitchen. “I don’t get paid enough for this gig,” he muttered. […]
by Chris McGrane “Scientists and the lame-stream media don’t want you to know this, but humans can live without oxygen.” “We’ve been brainwashed into thinking we need it, so Big Pharma can sell us overpriced air purifiers. So the international banking syndicates can deindustrialise the West by destroying the logging industry, the mining industry and […]
by Scott O’Neill The TurfPredator 9000 riding lawnmower stalled out against the trailer park’s lone palm tree, most of a six-pack wedging its accelerator down. A grisly trail of mulched Florida man glistened redly behind the big mower. Assorted trailer park denizens with deep tans and hyphenated names gawped and gossiped. “Poor Billy-Bob.” “What happened?” […]
by Odi Welter Welcome to Hell! Can I just get your name and method of death? You weren’t aware you were dead? I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I really do need that information for our records. You see, upper management loves their numbers. No worries, I can look you up. […]