by Sam Snyder The radios went out forty minutes ago. We’re too far underground—the water dripping from the ceiling is frigid—but none of us wanted to leave after seeing the first of the carvings, so here we are. The writing’s like nothing the linguist’s ever seen, apparently. Personally, I think they look like they’re from […]
by Cailín Frankland They took our relics first: pots and tools, playthings and jewellery. This we tolerated, chuckling at their blustering talk of papers, conferences, museum displays. We bore their ambition, indulged their curiosity—even in death, we are a generous people. Then they stole our bones. They extracted ribs with dental picks, boxed up our […]
by Weird Wilkins The gas has done its job. You lie there barely awake, the pain in your teeth has numbed, from agony to a dull ache. You lie there on the chair, dreading what comes next, your drooling mouth held agape by metal and perspex. It’s then that you spot it, hardly a spec […]
by Tracy Davidson For someone who spends so much time wielding scalpels, a sudden attack of haemophobia is somewhat inconvenient. My therapist shares my fear. She talks me through her coping mechanisms. She’s good. I feel the panic and anxiety leaving my body. Hands stop trembling at the merest thought of scarlet oozing over my […]
by Tim Law I watched on, helpless, as you faded away. All of those crosswords, logic puzzles, the way you challenged and stretched your mind. Nothing seemed to help, nothing stopped or even stalled your decline. You were the smartest and most caring person I know. In the end, you became nothing more than a […]
by Anastasia Jill Hydro— Foam, like venom bile. Jaws, square and concrete, hit the floor. Throat open, wide open and dry as a desert. Shaking, shaking, shaking—Please! I’m so scared. My mouth is so large, but my throat is so small. Water, water? WATER! NO! Get away from me— —phobia Brain? It is so heavy; […]
by P.S. Traum Pasty white corpse makeup, a cackling laugh… A clown at a party is funny, but when you encounter that same clown in a dark alley at night, waiting for you with an unholy grin? Jesters, clowns, all actually very disturbing. You don’t know who is really hiding under that garish wig, lurking […]
by Liam Kerry Relax. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. In. And out. In. And out. That’s it. Focus on the arm that I am holding up. When I release it, you will fall into a deep sleep. That’s it. So, let’s tackle this phobia. When you wake up, darkness will no longer frighten you. You […]
by Bridget Holland Once, I loved the beach. Sand, sea, open sky. But the birds were watching me. I moved to the shops along the esplanade, hid in crowds and covered spaces. One among many. Hidden, safe. But sharp eyes found me. In my apartment, door locked, blinds drawn. I order groceries and takeout. I […]
by Jonathan L. Tolstedt This ignorant schweinhund says I have eisoptrophobia. A fear of my own reflection. I’m not a handsome man, but he’ll not understand until he sees it. He’s suggested exposure therapy to desensitise me and smugly holds the cloth covering the mirror. He stands behind me and tugs, revealing our reflections, and […]