Tag Archive for: dark moments

Stalking Death

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by Jeff Currier

The Arouca suspension footbridge’s vista was breathtaking. But when Scott noticed the hovering skull-shaped drones, he pushed aside murmuring sightseers and began sprinting.

Cassie Andros, producer of the insanely popular show Stalking Death, claimed she could see the future. No one believed her. Yet from chicken-bone asphyxiations to fiery crashes, her drones recorded stunningly gruesome deaths.

A loud crack echoed. The bridge undulated wildly. Wailing tourists plummeted into the gorge.

Scott leapt. Landed on the solid abutment, panting in relief. Drones hovered around him.

Why’re they still—

The high-tension bridge cable whipsawing Scott in half generated Cassie’s highest ratings ever.

 

Jeff Currier

Jeff writes little stories. Find more: @jffcurrier on X or Jeff Currier Writes on Facebook.

Monday Night Executions

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by Chris Clemens

“Next, we’re featuring an inmate who’s committed financial crimes you wouldn’t believe, folks. Sentenced to death by peer jury, this dumpling signed our contract and enjoyed one last week in Montreal while you placed bets.

Now, he quivers before the skull-lined gates, refusing to move, which means Viewer’s Choice! Your micropayments at home will determine his fate.

Oh! He’s shambling toward the Grinning Gate, hoping for Painless Gas. No, Bone Extractor! It’ll be Bone Extractor. Oh no.”

The crowd gasps.

“Our inmate’s crying, begging to try Viewer’s Choice instead. Let’s reveal the voting. Wow! Once again, it’s the Bone Extractor!”

 

Chris Clemens

Chris Clemens lives and teaches in Toronto, surrounded by raccoons. Nominated for Best Microfiction and Best Small Fictions, his writing has appeared in The Dribble Drabble Review, Polar Borealis, Dreams & Nightmares, Apex Magazine, and elsewhere.

 

 

I’m Going to Be So Famous

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by Ryan Van Ells

The hand behind the camera signals: more.

I would smile, but I know better. Instead, I let out another sob, dreadful and echoing. I feel Mike twitch away from it. Amateur. If he was going to break up with me, I was going to get another show out of it.

The hands signal again. More.

I bury my face in his neck. Tears flow freely. I clench my fist around his dead father’s fountain pen—a parting gift because I meant so much to him. Gag.

More.

I raise the pen behind his back.

I’m going to be so famous.

 

Ryan Van Ells

Ryan Van Ells is a queer lawyer and author of dark fiction from Milwaukee, WI. His work has most recently appeared in State of Matter Magazine, Tiny Terrors, and Snakebite Books’ 100 Word Horror. You can find him at: ryanvanellsauthor.wordpress.com.

 

 

Hooking the Ex

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by Pauline Yates

The audience whoops as I hug my ex. She’s lost ten pounds and is dressed to kill, but who cares? Play this right and tomorrow, I’ll be half a million dollars richer. I dumped her once. I’ll easily dump her again.

                                              ***

Returning his embrace, I slide my fingers beneath his shirt and dig my nails into his back. The audience goes wild, clapping and cheering at lost love found. But hooking up again was never about the money. It’s payback for a broken heart. The poison on my fingernails will do the job. By this time tomorrow, he’ll be dead.

 

Pauline Yates

Pauline Yates is a horror and science fiction writer from Australia. Find her publications at: paulineyates.com

 

Pound of Flesh

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by Scott O’Neill

The neon-flashing balance scale tilted toward his opponent.

A crocodile smile oozed from the host, “Devin! Do you give up, or will you…”

The audience chanted, “Tip! The! Scale!”

Devin thrust his arm into the Sacrifice Zone. Surgical lasers flared. His severed forearm thudded down beside his hand and fingers on the scale, which tilted back toward him. His cauterised stump smelled disturbingly like barbecue.

“After a word from our sponsors,” announced the host, “we’ll bring you the life-changing, million-credit final round of…”

“Pound! Of! Flesh!” roared the crowd.

Devin watched, trembling, as his opponent rolled up both trouser legs.

 

Scott O’Neill

Scott writes reports and memorandums by day and speculative fiction by night, with short works published by various presses. You can find him on the socials as @wererooster.

 

Elimination Round

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by Marinda Kotze

The girl scooped up her tray and strode towards the judges’ table.

“Maisie, what have you cooked up for us today?”

“Chefs, today I’ve made you a special jerk pork stew.” Maise lifted the tray’s lid, revealing a cloud of rising steam and the stew, still bubbling in its serving dish.

“You face stiff competition from Henry; do you think this dish is good enough to eliminate him?”

Maise nodded with confidence.

“You said this was… pork?” The chef asked while prodding at a peculiar chunk of meat in the stew.

“Well, he was a pig,” Maisie shrugged.

Marinda Kotze

Marinda Kotze is a South African now living in the Republic of Georgia. Her stories have been featured in 50-Word Stories, Black Hare Press, and The World of Myth. Two of her stories are forthcoming in Calliope Interactive and Schlock! Magazine. She occasionally blogs about her writing adventures on marindakotze.com

Must Watch

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by Liam Hogan

Topping TV viewing figures for the thirty-ninth straight week comes the juggernaut reality show Must Watch. The will-they-won’t-they relationship drama—with added guns, knives, and poisons—is engrossing enough, but the clincher is the army of roving researchers, heavily armed, who canvas pedestrians and knock on front doors. Anyone who can’t answer their multiple-choice questions to prove they are, indeed, avid watchers becomes part of that evening’s entertainment.

Some nervous industry experts have suggested killing off potential audience members isn’t a sound growth strategy, but with 97% audience capture rates, it’s a formula we don’t see changing any time soon.

Liam Hogan

Liam Hogan is an award-winning short story writer, who dabbles in drabbles.

Website: happyendingnotguaranteed.blogspot.co.uk

Form Rejection

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by Pauline Yates

Dear Author Alphabet Abuser,

We have refuse to read your submission drivel. and unfortunately You pulverised the prose so badly your story isn’t quite what we’re looking for right now unreadable. While wWe regretfully cannot provide detailed feedback due to the volume of submissions, won’t provide feedback. You are beyond help. we thank you for your interest in our magazine Never send us, or anyone, anything ever again.  and hope you continue to cConsider us in the future. becoming a serial killer or get a job at a slaughterhouse where your butchering skills will be more appreciated.

Regards,

The Editor

Pauline Yates

Pauline Yates is an award-winning author of horror and science fiction from Queensland, Australia.

Website: paulineyates.com

Revision

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by Richard Lau

He hated to self-edit but felt that there was no one else qualified enough to do the job.

The act of creation was tough enough, but at least you only did it once.

The revisions were maddening. How many to do? How deep to make the cuts? What was the consequence of each change? Yet plotlines would follow their own path; characters would go astray.

He was always temperamental during these periods of revision. Some days kind and giving; others angry and vengeful. As varied as the weather. Yes, the weather. That was the answer.

So, He flooded the world.

Richard Lau

Richard Lau is an award-winning writer who is published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies, as well as in the high-tech industry and online.

Revising Evil

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by Helen French

The coalition of evil editors meets once a month in a grotty East London pub.

Today, Chairman Farqhart adjusts his monocle and says, “First on the agenda: tormenting writers. Our usual cruelty is losing its edge. They shrug off insults, and blunt rejections no longer crush their spirits. Suggestions?”

“What about…” a new voice ventures.

“Go on. This is an evil space, but it’s a safe one.”

“What about acceptance letters?”

The crowd gasps.

“Explain,” Farqhart instructs.

“Not ordinary ones. We’ll ask for extensive revisions, and offer cryptic, contradictory feedback.”

Farqhart grins. “That’ll break them, all right.”

And everyone cheers.

Helen French

Helen French grew up in Merseyside near the coast and now lives in Hertfordshire, UK with her family. Her short stories have appeared in venues such as Factor Four, Stupefying Stories, and Flash Fiction Online, and she is currently buried in novel writing. You can find her online at helenfrench.net.