by Warren Benedetto There was something on the roof. The children huddled behind the couch, their tearful eyes glistening in the warm glow of the Christmas lights. The house shook with each heavy footfall thudding overhead. Plaster dust drifted from the ceiling like snow. A low growl echoed down the chimney, followed by the […]
by Ali House Chloe awoke touching something wet. As the fog clouding her mind lifted, she realised that the floor she was lying on was covered with an inch of water. The room was unfamiliar, as were the six terrified women trapped with her. Nobody could remember how they got there or knew how […]
by Amber M. Simpson Aaron held Mia in his arms, slow dancing across his candlelit living room to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” Her head rested on his shoulder, long hair cascading down his arm. His heartbeat raced from the nearness of her. Holding her like this was a dream come true. With subtle deliberation, […]
by Charlotte Langtree They mesmerised him, nine beautiful women seducing him with every spin and flash of bare legs. He was the last man in the club but he didn’t care; he had enough cash to keep them dancing. It was almost Christmas, his divorce was finalised, and he felt like celebrating. “How much […]
by Kimberly Rei The mall was three storeys tall, with a spacious central opening and a gathering area at the bottom. The first man to crash down landed as the relentlessly joyful Christmas carol sang “a partridge in a pear tree.” We all stared in horror as verse after verse, another body fell. All […]
by Darlene Holt “On the twelfth night of Christmas, my killer gave to me: twelve hours stalking, eleven haunting phone calls, ten severed fingers, nine pleas for mercy, eight ripped out teeth, seven fatal stab wounds, six organs bleeding, five chilling screams, four shattered ribs, three gasping breaths, two arms tied, and a corpse […]
by Maxine Churchman The drums sounded sweet. Jack said he would show me how he got those wonderful tones. An extractor fan whirred and clanked ineffectually against the putrid smell in the chilly workshop. “I need one more, twelve drummers drumming and all that.” He was obsessed with Christmas. “Chemicals of the trade,” he […]
by Lynne Phillips Zacji didn’t feel the bites, but as his body heated, his arm began to itch. Hundreds of tiny larvae wriggled in waves under his skin emerging through his pores, their heads taking a breath before disappearing and wriggling again. They moved like rivulets along his arm towards his shoulder. Using the […]
by Bernardo Villela Malcolm awoke confused. Eyes stung from something acidic. In pitch blackness he groped for his phone. Flashlight on. A corrugated ceiling. No, a tunnel. He touched the floor. Not rocky, covered in dark sludge and liquid. A muscular firmness and tissular feel. Fingerlike protuberances brushed against his hand. A noxious breeze […]
by Brandi Hicks I skitter over skin, searching for the perfect spot. My host can’t see me as I dig through her dermis, but soon enough she’ll feel me. She’s done nothing wrong; she just tastes oh-so-sweet and was in the wrong place when I caught her scent. I’m at her muscle now, the […]