by Chris Tattersall My humble home had been violated by thieves. They took a worthless souvenir that I had crafted for my now deceased wife. It had only sentimental value. After years, I finally tracked my quarry to a basement. A man sat alone, oddly taking extraordinary care with the stolen object. I watched, as […]
by Kimberly Rei “At the end of the world, there is Redemption.” The priest stalked closer, whispering over and over. Acolytes circled us, trapping me in a shadowed alcove. I didn’t believe the texts. Prophecy riding the tail of a comet? Ridiculous! I had to see for myself. I travelled deep into the desert, hoping […]
by Kristin Lennox The village had been entombed centuries earlier by a flash avalanche. Bodies, perfectly preserved in the ice, were twisted, mouths open in horror…except one: a young woman, standing with hand raised, as if hailing a friend. I visit the site nightly, as my colleagues sleep. My frozen siren… At last, I place […]
by Bridget Holland “I miss my daughter.” The woman’s hands knot together, white-knuckled, desperate. Few find our valley. Fewer consider trading our centuries of peace for a brief lifetime outside. But all may choose freely. “You must leave your notebooks behind. And never speak of Shambhala.” She nods eager agreement. *** The woman and her […]
by Kelly Matsuura The tremors worsen. The stone walls collapse under pressure, trapping us in a vast, labyrinthine crypt, deep under Minoan ruins. Well, not all of us… I draw my knife as wraithlike maidens encircle the group, hungry to receive the promised sacrifice. “What did you do, Renée?” Tomás screams repeatedly. I kneel and […]
by Petina Strohmer The atmosphere is thick and foul, and the rivers run an oily black. The planet’s squealing inhabitants are packed so tightly together, the barren ground beneath their feet is barely visible. They fight among themselves constantly, kicking and screaming, in desperate competition for space, air, everything. The weak, the sick and the […]
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 […]