Dark Moments
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alt="O, Christmas Tree by S. Jade Path"
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height="630"
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O, Christmas Tree by S. Jade Path
The town council smiled stiffly as the Christmas tree blazed to life in the bright square. Cheers rose; mulled wine and cocoa flowed freely, carols filling the frozen air. “The...
O, Christmas Tree by S. Jade Path
The town council smiled stiffly as the Christmas tree blazed to life in the bright square. Cheers rose; mulled wine and cocoa flowed freely, carols filling the frozen air. “The...
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alt="I'll be Home for Christmas by Timmy le Frog"
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I'll be Home for Christmas by Timmy le Frog
I lurch onward, burdened by gifts and a feeling I can’t quite place. Glad am I when my street comes into view. The name is the same but there is...
I'll be Home for Christmas by Timmy le Frog
I lurch onward, burdened by gifts and a feeling I can’t quite place. Glad am I when my street comes into view. The name is the same but there is...
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alt="Disgruntled by Jim Nemeth"
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Disgruntled by Jim Nemeth
Christmas morning, and ten-year-old Jimmy stared disbelievingly at the just-unwrapped present before him. “Jingle Bells” played softly in the background. “It’s a genuine Louisville Slugger bat, Champ!” his father declared...
Disgruntled by Jim Nemeth
Christmas morning, and ten-year-old Jimmy stared disbelievingly at the just-unwrapped present before him. “Jingle Bells” played softly in the background. “It’s a genuine Louisville Slugger bat, Champ!” his father declared...
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alt="Nothing for Christmas by Deborah Tapper"
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Nothing for Christmas by Deborah Tapper
“Be good!” Mum warns. “Or you’ll get nothing for Christmas!” The twins ignore her threats. Especially when they notice the huge gift beneath the tree, which rattles enticingly when they...
Nothing for Christmas by Deborah Tapper
“Be good!” Mum warns. “Or you’ll get nothing for Christmas!” The twins ignore her threats. Especially when they notice the huge gift beneath the tree, which rattles enticingly when they...
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alt="You Better Watch Out by Kristin Lennox"
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You Better Watch Out by Kristin Lennox
Santa had no choice, really. Polls had shown a steep drop in popularity—more children believed in the Tooth Fairy than in him. It was either merge with the Demon Goat...
You Better Watch Out by Kristin Lennox
Santa had no choice, really. Polls had shown a steep drop in popularity—more children believed in the Tooth Fairy than in him. It was either merge with the Demon Goat...
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alt="Should've Mentioned Coal by Sloane"
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Should've Mentioned Coal by Sloane
Leaning low to sniff at a tray of milk and cookies, the tooth fairy guzzled the former and scattered the latter. Sweet calcium. Horrid cavities. A noise. Movement briefly focused...
Should've Mentioned Coal by Sloane
Leaning low to sniff at a tray of milk and cookies, the tooth fairy guzzled the former and scattered the latter. Sweet calcium. Horrid cavities. A noise. Movement briefly focused...
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alt="Frostbite by A.C. Turner"
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Frostbite by A.C. Turner
We built him Tuesday after the first snow, used Mom’s buttons for his crooked smile. Wednesday he stood taller, thicker. Tommy’s scarf was wrapped around his neck. We didn’t put...
Frostbite by A.C. Turner
We built him Tuesday after the first snow, used Mom’s buttons for his crooked smile. Wednesday he stood taller, thicker. Tommy’s scarf was wrapped around his neck. We didn’t put...
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alt="A Cenobite Christmas by Liam Hogan"
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A Cenobite Christmas by Liam Hogan
The house is quiet now. The dining table’s suspended mid-clearance. Father, having cut out his eyes with the carving knife, can’t see the mess of blood and guts congealing around...
A Cenobite Christmas by Liam Hogan
The house is quiet now. The dining table’s suspended mid-clearance. Father, having cut out his eyes with the carving knife, can’t see the mess of blood and guts congealing around...
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alt="Where the Grass Feeds by Kimberly Rei"
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Where the Grass Feeds by Kimberly Rei
“Don't go there,” the locals warned. “People starve to death there.” I laughed, pausing outside the pub to bring up a hiking map. The field was a shortcut to Mullaghmeen...
Where the Grass Feeds by Kimberly Rei
“Don't go there,” the locals warned. “People starve to death there.” I laughed, pausing outside the pub to bring up a hiking map. The field was a shortcut to Mullaghmeen...
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alt="To Cleave the Crone by E.M. McCormack"
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To Cleave the Crone by E.M. McCormack
You peel it from me, inch by inch—my wrinkled skin, my grey hair, my bulbous nose. Then deeper still, your fingers probe and find my brittle knees, my dry womb....
To Cleave the Crone by E.M. McCormack
You peel it from me, inch by inch—my wrinkled skin, my grey hair, my bulbous nose. Then deeper still, your fingers probe and find my brittle knees, my dry womb....
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alt="They Only See Me When I Cry by Alara Rogers"
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They Only See Me When I Cry by Alara Rogers
I wait for my favourite uncle to come home, smiling and combing my hair. But when I see him, I can’t help but scream. I see the shadow of death...
They Only See Me When I Cry by Alara Rogers
I wait for my favourite uncle to come home, smiling and combing my hair. But when I see him, I can’t help but scream. I see the shadow of death...
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alt="The Last Leprechaun by Dakria"
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The Last Leprechaun by Dakria
The wind bites my skin. I pull the ragged blanket tighter. A gentleman passes. The clink of a coin in my tin cup cuts through the street noise and my...
The Last Leprechaun by Dakria
The wind bites my skin. I pull the ragged blanket tighter. A gentleman passes. The clink of a coin in my tin cup cuts through the street noise and my...