by Paul Lewthwaite “I’m more of a man than you!” Eddie said, slurring his words. Mike dropped his bottle of moonshine. “C’mon then, prove it. Grab that chainsaw, or are you chicken?” Eddie yanked the starter cord. The motor roared into life, spewing fumes. The blade wobbled as it plunged downward, severing his left forefoot. […]
by Zack Zagranis Jason winced as he ripped off his shirt and wound it around the bloody stump that used to be his right hand. Don’t feed the bears. He had always thought of it as a suggestion like “Don’t feed the bears…unless you want them begging for food constantly.” He looked down at his […]
by Matt Krizan Darren ambled along the driveway toward the old, run-down farmhouse. From the branches of a nearby tree, chains dangled, meat hooks at the end clinking in the breeze. “What odd wind chimes,” Darren mused. Then, eyeing the dark splotches staining the ground underneath, “I wonder what spilled.” The front door opened and […]
by Sean MacKendrick Drifting flickers of lights greeted the campers as dusk settled over them. The tiny fireflies pulsed and danced through the air like sparks from the small campfire. Or like the twinkling stars above. A thousand additional lights flared into existence, in one giant bloom. Another ten thousand joined those. Laughter and conversation […]
by Coby Rosser Sounds emanate from just beyond the thicket of trees enveloping the clearing on which your campsite rests. You hear those noises. Twigs snapping. Ululations of nocturnal creatures. Wind rustling leaves. But you just roll over, snug in your sleeping bag, content in the safety of your warm firelight. Fire is your luminous […]
by Tim Tobin The desert sun burns my skin even as my teeth chatter. Life drips from the two bullet holes while the shadows of death sail across the sun, swoop on thermals and wait. Hooves shatter the quiet. Hope! But my murderer steps down to mock me. The hiss of a rattlesnake spooks the […]
by Leigh Kenny The hike was gruelling, the woods unforgiving. Jessie huffed and grumbled as she walked. She’d started complaining early into the trek. Conor rolled his eyes, tired of her already. “At least you don’t have to do the return trip,” he snapped. Silence. Conor froze, realising too late what he had said. He […]
by C.L. Sidell I recite the phrase while plucking the dandelion’s petals, one by one. “What are you doing?” Chandra asks, reaching for a wine glass. It’s a lovely day for picnicking—birds tweeting in a slight breeze. “Consulting,” I reply as the last petal detaches on ‘not’. “But…Travis, you know I love you.” Wordlessly, I […]
by Corinne Pollard I raised my knickers, my bladder no longer full, while the lilac heathers bobbed in gratitude. Ready to continue our hike, I spun round, but his tallness and backpack had vanished. I yelled his name, but the roaring wind snatched them. Dark clouds were massing as my feet grew heavier. Follow us. […]
by Kristin Lennox The sun slunk over the horizon, blood-orange and violet flame, flooding the sandstone formations with morning majesty. Wind whispered across the still-grey canyon floor, rustling through dead grasses, around cactus silhouettes. Jake never tired of the desert sunrise—O’Keeffe, come to life. It’s gonna get so hot, though. “Yeah, but it’s a dry […]