by Kateri Tough It was the third time Nora had left the house on her own. Three times, the usually obedient five-year-old had been found on the old bridge. I fought back tears. This’s how it started with Suzy last year until she disappeared completely, just her crumpled bow left behind on the old bridge. […]
by Juliette Gillies “Wait! Don’t!” The man stands close, almost within arm’s reach. His voice sounds panicked. “Please come down. It’s not safe up there.” The wind is hitting me a little harder than him. It’s cold up on the suspension bridge. The metal railing feels frozen to my skin. “Can you help me back […]
by Tracy Davidson It lies halfway across the bridge. Makes people shiver, even on hot nights. Legend speaks of a long-armed troll, that grabs folk by their heels, drags them to their deaths below. I’m no troll. Ghostly arms, full of broken bones, cannot grab, cannot drag. I jumped, centuries ago. Never left. Sometimes, others […]
by Jodi Jensen “You gonna do it?” Jeremy looked at the derelict bridge, considering. “I don’t know, man. It’s creepy. Why’s it called Cannibal Bridge, anyway?” “I dunno, maybe cannibals live under it.” Oscar shrugged. Standing before the dilapidated wood, Jeremy’s nose crinkled at the rotten stench and he hesitated. “What do I get if […]
by Liv Strom My music—purer than any human’s—flows out from the bridge’s shade, seeking prey too young for caution and regret. There. A treat bounces his ball under my overhang. It’s here, the music calls. “Viktor!” a mother shouts. Hunger churns. Pace it right, and I’ll have both tonight. Don’t fear… I retreat, strumming my […]
by Sascha Reinhard A secret smile flicks across my lips every time I walk over you. The river murmurs beneath in a joyful melody, accompanying the scuff of my boots on unsmoothed cobblestone. Time will dull the edges and the pain, but not my memory of the price I bid you pay. I let my […]
by R.A. Goli Cold wind whips my hair into my face and I shiver. It’s almost midnight. The only sound besides the wind is the ticking of my cooling engine. Everyone knows the story; the woman in white, who haunts the bridge. Teenagers dare each other to cross; friends turn off their car’s headlights to […]
by F. Malanoche I flicked off the bathroom light after a late night piss and blindly stumbled across the hallway to my bedroom. All I wanted was to get back to my comfy spot in bed. The air conditioner whirred to life, covering the hum of the fridge. Then something clicked. An orange spark came […]
by Paul Lonardo I’d seen my new neighbour lying out on her back deck at 3 a.m. the night before. She wore only a red bikini, her pale skin shimmering under the light of the Hunter’s Moon. When she appeared the next night, I went over to say hello. She asked me to put lotion […]
by Keev Kennedy I expected my drunk brother to be the 3 a.m. knocker, but what I got was a little girl and a box. “My sisters and I are seeking donations for our food drive,” she said. “Can you spare a part?” “Come back in the morning,” I answered exhaustedly. The girl frowned, then […]