by G.B. Dinesh They were talking about death at Nana’s eightieth birthday party. I sat on her lap. “She won’t die, she is a witch,” one of her friends said, cackling. I looked up; Nana gave me a tired smile. She was already dying, but the spark in her eyes made me think of a […]
by Crystal N. Ramos His father always wore a locket, an oddity the son couldn’t help but notice. When asked, his father tucked it inside his shirt and said, “It keeps the demon form locked away.” Curiosity inflamed; the son waited until his father was sleeping to open it. Fire burst out and consumed them. […]
by Pauline Yates I resisted the urge for years, hoping the curse had skipped a generation and I’d be spared the gruesome reality that I was indeed the spawn of my father. He disgusts me with his morbid eating habits while I’m spooning down ordinary cereal. But today is different. Today I yearn to dip […]
Reap is a unique anthology born from a captivating prompt: a zombie farmer cultivating a crop of human brains. This collection of thirty-two stories delves into the bizarre world of undead agriculture, blending horror, dark humour, and speculative fiction.
By Suzanne Link Patrice’s tiny hands smack the earth with finality. “How’s that, Mama?” “Perfect.” My heart bursts with motherly joy. Farming runs in our veins, and Patrice is a natural. “Time to feed ’em!” Patrice thrusts out her palm. I drag my blade across her thumb. She doesn’t even flinch as blood drips onto […]
by Yvonne Lang I cried when Grandmother strangled the baby. I sobbed when I had to cook and season its body. Grandmother insisted it was an essential part of my witch education. The baby potion would keep Grandmother from aging. My pleas for them to take my sister’s boy fell on deaf ears; my son […]
by Scott O’Neill I awaken to paralysis. Blinding lights. Hospital smells. I vaguely recall feeling dizzy at Mom’s wedding reception. “You’re conscious.” My new stepfather glides into view, wearing blood-spattered scrubs and a lunatic grin. “Observe.” He tilts my head right. I see my new stepbrother, Caleb, unconscious on a gurney. Gleaming surgical staples circumscribe […]
by Penny Durham The king greeted us more like old friends than envoys from his enemy. “You are weary! Rest. Tomorrow we’ll talk.” Rada turned her blue eyes on me as we parted, led to our separate quarters, where fire and wine waited. I slept too long. Rising in panic, I was taken to the […]
by Don Money The humidity of the Arkansas summer drenched Dr Parnum as he hiked down alone into the isolated valley. The tall cairn of rocks marking the entrance to the valley matched the description in the Quapaw stories he’d studied. Ten years of research finally led him to the location of the legend of […]
by Patrick Campbell “What a cutie-pie,” said the lady from the flat below, squeezing their newborn’s adorable thigh rolls. “I could just eat him up.” They became friendly with her. After eight months of being held hostage by their bundle of joy, they desperately needed an evening out and asked her to babysit. She was […]